PeñascoNM
546 people call this town in New Mexico home.
Is Peñasco a good place to live?
Peñasco’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the New Mexico town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a lower midsummer high than Peñasco. Peñasco High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Peñasco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
546 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Peñasco: who provides what
Peñasco is unincorporated, so Taos 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 Peñasco.
The FEMA risk score in Peñasco is higher than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
Nearly three fifths of Peñasco’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by inland flooding at 29%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Peñasco’s kids attend
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Penasco school district. 3 public schools serve Peñasco, with 276 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penasco ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 127 | – |
| Penasco HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 75 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Most of Peñasco’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
18% of Peñasco workers work from home. Most working residents leave Peñasco for work: only 1% work in town. The town had 19 jobs in 2023, down 71 from 2013. Also worth knowing: its typical household income stands at $46,000.
| Peñasco | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 18% | 8.4% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 21% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Peñasco brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Only 3 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower January low than Peñasco. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 15° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Peñasco stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression
The share of adults in Peñasco who have high blood pressure: 37%. This New Mexico town beats the New Mexico average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Peñasco | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 69% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 23% | 23% |
| What stands out | Peñasco | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 18.8% | 23.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.6% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Wheeler Peak and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peñasco. Close and well known come first.
31 mi MountainWheeler Peak
35 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
36 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
27 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft vertical
32 mi National forestCarson National Forest
36 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe PlazaPhoto credits
Wheeler Peak: Davishan99, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carson National Forest: David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo, CC BY 2.0 · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Everything we know about Peñasco
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Peñasco
About 3 of every 100 Peñasco residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
99% of working residents leave Peñasco for work
Where Peñasco’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Peñasco
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Peñasco, NM a good place to live?
Peñasco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.