Sagrada Familia de Lemitar Church, Los Dulces Nombres · National Register of Historic Places
Lemitar’s story
160 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1866Lemitar is settled
LemitarNM
Home to 316 people, the town was settled in 1866.
Sagrada Familia de Lemitar Church, Los Dulces Nombres · Photo: Helen Orozco · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
316
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
59.9
years
Jobs based here
288
A job hub
Is Lemitar a good place to live?
33% of residents are 65 or older in Lemitar, above both New Mexico’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (18%). Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Lemitar. Lemitar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lemitar stand out
Where Lemitar beats most towns.
Small town
316 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 Lemitar: who provides what
Lemitar is unincorporated, so Socorro County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSocorro Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterPolvadera Mdwca water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSocorro CountySocorro 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 hereSocorro County ClerkSocorro County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes87823, 8780187823 74% · 87801 26%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 Lemitar.
Work & commute
Lemitar has 3.1 jobs for every working resident, and 285 people commute in
In Lemitar, 3.2% of working residents work locally. Jobs here fell by 69 from 2013 to 2023, to 288. The top destinations are Albuquerque (22%), Socorro (20%) and Belen (5%). Half of commuters travel less than 61 miles.
3%work in town
| Lemitar | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 21% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lemitar3%
Albuquerque22%
Socorro20%
Belen5%
Los Lunas4%
61 mi
median commute distance
288
jobs based in Lemitar
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than New Mexico overall
Here, 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 31% in New Mexico as a whole.
59.9median age · NM 39.4
LemitarNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
40%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school37%
Some college25%
Associate’s4%
Bachelor’s10%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 0% and 99% women
The Census survey reached too few of Lemitar’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±53.1 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Lemitar | 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 | 40.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 27.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.5% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 17.1% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.3% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 25% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.4% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.5% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Lemitar, with inland flooding at the top
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 89% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 71% of Lemitar’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 8% to drought.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Lemitar, expect mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 94°, January nights drop to 21° and about 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–56°
Spring39–77°
Summer59–93°
Fall40–75°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Lemitar is
For adults in Lemitar, the share who worry about having enough food is 27%. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Lemitar.
| Lemitar | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 27% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Lemitar | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.4% | 14.2% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 34.7% | 25.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.6% |
Socorro General Hospital
7.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lemitar
14pages on Lemitar
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lemitar
College town 19 of every 100 Lemitar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A job hub
Every workday, about 285 people come to Lemitar for work
Where Lemitar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
288jobs based in Lemitar
3%of working residents work in town
61 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Lemitar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lemitar, NM a good place to live?
Lemitar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.