NMMap-doton-LaJara, 2004
La Jara’s story
115 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1911La Jara is settled
La JaraNM
A town settled in 1911, now home to 176 people.
Population
176
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$257K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$16K
median
Median age
68.0
years
Land area
14 sq mi
Is La Jara a good place to live?
82% of residents live below the poverty line in La Jara, above both the New Mexico town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher median age than La Jara. 38% of the land in La Jara is conserved, above both the New Mexico town median (3.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Santa Fe National Forest, 2,655 acres with 1.3 miles of trail. La Jara has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
176 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to La Jara: who provides what
La Jara is unincorporated, so Sandoval County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLa Jara Water Users Association2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSandoval CountySandoval County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn New Mexico you can register online until 28 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSandoval County ClerkSandoval County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code8702787027 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in La Jara.
Who lives here
83% of residents are 65 or older
38% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 31% across New Mexico.
68median age · NM 39.4
La JaraNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
77%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma17%
High school35%
Some college11%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s38%
Graduate0%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 26% and 54% women
The Census survey reached too few of La Jara’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14.1 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| La Jara | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0.6% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 77.3% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.5% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.7% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 10.8% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 38.1% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of La Jara
Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 8.1 miles. In La Jara, the concentration of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile.
38.1%conserved
38.1%
conserved · 3,457 of 9,080 acres
8.1 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Santa Fe National Forest | 1.3 mi | 2,655 |
| 2. San Pedro Parks Wilderness | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
A typical July afternoon in La Jara is 84°F, against 93°F in New Mexico’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns
La Jara brings cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–42°
Spring28–61°
Summer48–82°
Fall31–63°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 30
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in La Jara is valued at about $257K
Typical home values rose 1.2% in the year to September 2026. 72% of La Jara households are owner-occupiers.
$257KZillow home value
Typical home value
La Jara$257K
New Mexico$316K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
More of La Jara’s adults have diabetes than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
In La Jara, 39% of adults have obesity. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than La Jara. This New Mexico town beats the New Mexico average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| La Jara | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
3 better18 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | La Jara | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 13.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 73.3% |
| More adults with diabetes | 19.8% | 13.2% |
Los Alamos Medical Center
38 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
La Jara faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
On expected storm and flood damage, La Jara sits below 56% of U.S. communities. 57% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 18%.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about La Jara
16pages on La Jara
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of La Jara; the nearest are
University of New Mexico-Los Alamos CampusCommunity college · Public · Los Alamos37.9 mi$2,214 in-state tuitionNorthern New Mexico CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Espanola48.4 mi$6,400 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 La Jara residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About La Jara
CDP in New Mexico, United States
La Jara is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, La Jara had a population of 177. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area .
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,129 ft
- ZIP code
- 87027
Questions about La Jara
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Jara, NM a good place to live?
La Jara has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.