La PlataNM
A town of 2,233, settled in 1881.
Is La Plata a good place to live?
The best of La Plata’s subject grades are a B for the outdoors and schools; the weakest is a D− for walkability. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in La Plata, above both the New Mexico town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On walkability, just 8 of New Mexico’s 159 towns do worse. The median household income is $57K, and 36% of residents live below the poverty line. 15% of the land in La Plata is conserved, above both New Mexico’s towns (3.9%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Florence and John R. Pond House is on the National Register of Historic Places. La Plata has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
97% of working residents leave La Plata for work
Where La Plata’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How La Plata grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far La Plata is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to La Plata: who provides what
La Plata is unincorporated, so San Juan 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 Plata.
La Plata is less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
Among adults in La Plata, 14% have diabetes. Against the New Mexico average, La Plata comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 13. In La Plata, 18% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 71% had a checkup this year.
| La Plata | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 69% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | La Plata | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11.3% | 15.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
More than half of La Plata’s working residents commute to Farmington
Only 3% of working residents stay in La Plata for work; the rest commute out. Jobs here fell by 251 from 2013 to 2023, to 169. Half commute less than 12 miles. The top destinations are Farmington (51%), Albuquerque (6%) and Durango (4%).
| La Plata | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and hot summers in La Plata
In La Plata, the typical July afternoon high is 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conservation land takes up 15.1% of La Plata
Count the trails in 16 parks and preserves and they come to 15 miles. The biggest place to walk is Glade Run Recreation Area, 233 acres with 2.1 miles of trail. La Plata’s trail network density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glade Run Recreation Area | 2.1 mi | 233 |
| 2. Jackson Lake Wildlife Area | 0.8 mi | 47 |
| 3. Thomas Canyon Recreation Area | 0.6 mi | 172 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
La Plata has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Expected losses in La Plata break down as 77% from inland flooding and 7% from cold waves. On expected storm and flood damage, La Plata sits above just over three fifths of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical home in La Plata: about $316K
Home values are up 6.8% over the year to September 2026. In La Plata, 83% of households live in a home they own.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about La Plata
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of La Plata
About 2 of every 100 La Plata residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
La Plata’s neighbors
One town shares a border with La Plata.
| Town | NM rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata | — | — | B− | — | B | C− |
| Farmington | #40 | C− | C | D | B | C+ |
La Plata has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. La Plata reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare La Plata with a neighbor →
Questions about La Plata
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Plata, NM expensive?
That is 5.6 years of the area's median household income ($55,872 across the Farmington, NM metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.