2013, Route 66, Stone Architecture, 2013
Paraje’s story
Paraje in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
Explore the history →ParajeNM
A town of 1,333.
Population
1,333
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$33K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
43
A commuter town
Is Paraje a good place to live?
Paraje’s weakest subject grade is a D− for incomes. 62% of residents live below the poverty line in Paraje, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On incomes, just 1 of New Mexico’s 156 towns do worse. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 97% of the country. Paraje has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,333 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
SeamaLagunaParaje
How Paraje grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Paraje is from typical.
Jobs & income$33K median household income; 43 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthCibola General Hospital 21.9 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 39.4% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Paraje: who provides what
Paraje is unincorporated, so Cibola County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerContinental Divide El Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesCibola CountyCibola 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 hereCibola County ClerkCibola County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8700787007 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 Paraje.
HealthD−
Paraje stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a larger share of its adults sleep under 7 hours
44% of Paraje adults sleep under 7 hours, against 34% in New Mexico’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 26% of Paraje adults smoke cigarettes. Paraje beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21.
3%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Paraje | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 26% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better10 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Paraje | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11.3% | 15.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.3% | 14.2% |
Cibola General Hospital
21.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
On state tests, Paraje’s schools trail 68% of New Mexico districts
Its public schools are run by the Grants school district. Its two schools are below.
32%of NM districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna-Acoma MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 33 | – |
| Laguna-Acoma HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 193 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than New Mexico overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 0% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 41% of residents (22% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Paraje.
40.7median age · NM 39.4
| Paraje | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.7 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
ParajeNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
41%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school44%
Some college21%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s35%
Graduate0%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 18% and 100% women
The Census survey reached too few of Paraje’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±46.3 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Paraje | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 41.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 31.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 2.2% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.4% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.9% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 34.7% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Paraje has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Laguna (19%), Albuquerque (14%) and Mesita (10%). Half commute less than 32 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Paraje0%
Laguna19%
Albuquerque14%
Mesita10%
Farmington6%
32 mi
median commute distance
43
jobs based in Paraje
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Paraje, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Paraje
Paraje has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Paraje is 90°F.
15″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–50°
Spring35–69°
Summer56–88°
Fall37–69°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
Paraje has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
3.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 3,553 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mount Taylor Fields | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paraje
17pages on Paraje
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paraje; the nearest are
New Mexico State University-GrantsCommunity college · Public · Grants22.8 mi$2,136 in-state tuitionUniversity of New MexicoUniversity or college · Public · Albuquerque48 mi$10,140 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Paraje residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Paraje for work
Where Paraje’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
43jobs based in Paraje
0%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Paraje
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
Paraje is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Paraje had a population of 705.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,948 ft