PonderosaNM
289 people live in this town, settled in 1933.
Is Ponderosa a good place to live?
39% of residents live below the poverty line in Ponderosa, against 21% in New Mexico’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Ponderosa. 83% of the land in Ponderosa is conserved, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 3.9% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Santa Fe National Forest, at 4,494 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Ponderosa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
289 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Ponderosa: who provides what
Ponderosa is unincorporated, so Sandoval 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 Ponderosa.
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Ponderosa
The concentration of trails in Ponderosa is 0.3 miles per square mile. 3.0 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Santa Fe National Forest | 2.8 mi | 4,494 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Ponderosa than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
Half commute less than 32 miles. Ponderosa’s average trip to work stands at 27 minutes. The top destinations are Albuquerque (31%), Los Alamos (17%) and Santa Fe (7%).
| Ponderosa | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 14% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ponderosa: four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 21° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Ponderosa is
In Ponderosa, 11% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 15% report frequent mental distress. 70% of Ponderosa adults had a checkup this year.
| Ponderosa | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 69% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Ponderosa | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 14.2% |
| Fewer smokers | 10.8% | 13.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A typical Ponderosa home is worth about $289K
Values rose 1.1% in the 12 months to September 2026.
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Ponderosa faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 57% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 57% of Ponderosa’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to drought.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Valles Caldera National Preserve and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ponderosa. Close and well known come first.
12 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
16 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
13 mi Park & preserveKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
22 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
32 mi National MonumentPetroglyph National Monument311K visitors a year
24 mi Stadium & arenaRio Rancho Events CenterPhoto credits
Valles Caldera National Preserve: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, Public domain · Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Marshallhenrie, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Petroglyph National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Rio Rancho Events Center: Maryabm2009, CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything we know about Ponderosa
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ponderosa; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Ponderosa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
99% of working residents leave Ponderosa for work
Where Ponderosa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Ponderosa
CDP in New Mexico, United States
Ponderosa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ponderosa had a population of 379. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 9.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,010 ft
- ZIP code
- 87044
Questions about Ponderosa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ponderosa, NM a good place to live?
Ponderosa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.