La MaderaNM
A town of 532.
Is La Madera a good place to live?
76% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in La Madera, against 23% in New Mexico’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 1 have a higher average trip to work than La Madera. The biggest park or preserve is Cibola National Forest, at 25 acres. La Madera has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
532 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
University Stadium and 36 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Madera. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Stadium & arenaUniversity Stadium
32 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
6 mi Ski areaSandia Peak Ski Area66 runs · 1,599 ft vertical
20 mi National MonumentPetroglyph National Monument311K visitors a year
38 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
16 mi MuseumNational Museum of Nuclear Science & HistoryPhoto credits
University Stadium: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0 · Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sandia Peak Ski Area: Skoch3, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petroglyph National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · National Museum of Nuclear Science & History: AllenS, Public domain
Moving to La Madera: who provides what
La Madera is unincorporated, so Sandoval County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Madera.
Most of La Madera’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave La Madera for work: only 3% work in town. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in La Madera, below New Mexico’s towns (21%) but above U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Albuquerque (43%), Santa Fe (7%) and Rio Rancho (5%).
| La Madera | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 21% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers in La Madera
La Madera has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. La Madera’s July high is 86°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fewer of La Madera’s adults report frequent mental distress than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
11% of La Madera adults report frequent mental distress. Only 1 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than La Madera. 17% of La Madera adults say their health is fair or poor.
| La Madera | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | La Madera | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.2% | 15.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.8% | 16.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.7% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
La Madera faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| La Madera | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cibola National Forest | — | 25 |
| 2. Golden Open Space | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about La Madera
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of La Madera; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 La Madera residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
97% of working residents leave La Madera for work
Where La Madera’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About La Madera
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
La Madera is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. The CDP is in the southeast corner of the county, bordered to the south by Paa-Ko and Edgewood, both in Bernalillo County. The community sits at the eastern base of the Sandia Mountains, which rise to the west 4 miles (6 km) to the summit of Sandia Crest, elevation 10,678 feet (3,255 m).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,493 ft
Questions about La Madera
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Madera, NM a good place to live?
La Madera has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.