Prewitt Landscape, 2019
Prewitt’s story
98 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and 3 maps from 1963 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1928Prewitt is settled
PrewittNM
A town of 1,027, settled in 1928.
Population
1,027
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$19K
median
Median age
40.0
years
Jobs based here
6
A commuter town
Is Prewitt a good place to live?
Prewitt’s weakest subject grade is a D− for incomes. 18% of the land in Prewitt is conserved, above both New Mexico’s towns (3.9%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Prewitt has 1 place on the National Register. Prewitt has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,027 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Prewitt grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Prewitt is from typical.
Jobs & income$19K median household incomeD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Cibola General Hospital 20 miles awayD−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
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 Prewitt: who provides what
Prewitt is unincorporated, so McKinley County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMcKinley CountyMcKinley 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 hereMcKinley County ClerkMcKinley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8704587045 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 Prewitt.
HealthD−
Compared with most of New Mexico and the rest of the country, more of Prewitt’s adults get no exercise outside work
Among adults in Prewitt, 40% smoke cigarettes and 25% have diabetes. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Prewitt. The share of adults in Prewitt who binge drink is 11%, below both the New Mexico town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). Only 6 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Prewitt.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Prewitt | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 26% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
2 better3 too close to call27 worse
| What stands out | Prewitt | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.7% | 13.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 7.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 36.8% | 11% |
Cibola General Hospital
20 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Prewitt’s public schools trail 71% of New Mexico districts
Its public schools are run by Baca/Dlo'ay Azhi Community School. Enrollment at Prewitt’s public school: 222 students.
29%of NM districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baca/Dlo'ay Azhi Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 222 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
The average trip to work in Prewitt is longer than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
The top destinations are Gallup (23%), Albuquerque (15%) and Grants (9%). Of the 73 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a lower typical household income than Prewitt. Among residents in the town, 54% live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Prewitt has lost 118 jobs, to 6 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Prewitt | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 43 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 54% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $19,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Prewitt2%
Gallup23%
Albuquerque15%
Grants9%
Farmington6%
40 mi
median commute distance
6
jobs based in Prewitt
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC+
Prewitt has set aside 18.2% of its land for conservation
19 miles of trail. For Prewitt, the concentration of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile.
18.2%conserved
18.2%
conserved · 1,601 of 8,805 acres
19 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–46°
Spring31–65°
Summer52–85°
Fall34–67°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 29
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Prewitt has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in nearly three fifths of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Prewitt break down as 61% from inland flooding and 22% from cold waves.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Prewitt
16pages on Prewitt
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Prewitt; the nearest are
New Mexico State University-GrantsCommunity college · Public · Grants19.1 mi$2,136 in-state tuitionNavajo Technical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Crownpoint22.4 mi$4,346 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Prewitt residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Prewitt for work
Where Prewitt’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
6jobs based in Prewitt
2%of working residents work in town
40 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Prewitt
Unincorporated community in New Mexico, United States
Prewitt (Navajo: Kin Łigaaí) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. It is located along Interstate 40, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Grants. Prewitt has a post office with ZIP code 87045. As of the 2020 census, the population of Prewitt was 842.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,896 ft
- ZIP code
- 87045