MedanalesNM
Home to 280 people, the town was settled in 1945.
Is Medanales a good place to live?
Medanales’ midpoint age is 58 years, above both New Mexico’s towns (37.2 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Medanales. Medanales has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
280 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Medanales.
In Medanales, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
Expected losses in Medanales break down as 78% from inland flooding and 13% from wildfires. One declared disaster, in 2024, has brought federal aid to Medanales households.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Medanales: four seasons and hot summers
Medanales’ peak summer temperature is put at 89°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Medanales stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a smaller share of its adults binge drink
Among adults in Medanales, 16% report frequent physical distress. Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Medanales. 18% of adults here have diabetes; 13% report frequent mental distress.
| Medanales | Typical New Mexico town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 23% |
| What stands out | Medanales | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 9.8% | 13.4% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.4% | 13.7% |
| More adults with diabetes | 17.9% | 13.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.2% of the land in Medanales is protected from building
1.6 miles of trail. The concentration of trails in Medanales is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Medanales | Typical New Mexico town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Medanales
Moving to Medanales: who provides what
Medanales is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba 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.
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Medanales
About 0 of every 100 Medanales residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About Medanales
Unincorporated community in New Mexico, United States
Medanales is an unincorporated community located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Medanales had a population of 224. The community is located on the Chama River near U.S. Route 84, 14 miles (23 km) north-northwest of Española. Medanales has a post office with ZIP code 87548, which opened on March 10, 1945.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,866 ft
- ZIP code
- 87548
Questions about Medanales
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Medanales, NM a good place to live?
Medanales has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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