Photo: David · CC BY 2.0Living in Ranchos de Taos, NM: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Ranchos De Taos Mdwca water system, which supplies Ranchos de Taos. Ranchos de Taos has no town government of its own, so Taos County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Taos Municipal Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ranchos de Taos, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Ranchos de Taos.
Power comes from Kit Carson Electric Coop
Kit Carson Electric Coop (Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Ranchos de Taos. Its homes paid an average of 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $78 a month (its average across New Mexico).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ranchos De Taos Mdwca water system
The Ranchos De Taos Mdwca water system supplies Ranchos de Taos: about 93% of residents live in its service area. About 5% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 750 people in all.
18 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×17, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Oct 2024. 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people had none. 9 older violations are still open, since 2024: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Jun 2026, was 2.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 4.5 ppb. That’s higher than 79% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NM3507029.
6 home internet providers serve Ranchos de Taos
96% of 1,089 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 86% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit Carson Internet | Fiber | 86% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Xfinity | Cable | 61% | 1,200/35 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 44% | 60/5 |
| Taos Net | Fixed wireless | 100% | 1,024/1,024 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 49% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 19% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 3 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Ranchos de Taos.
Los Cordovas Transfer Station
194 Los Cordovas Road, Ranchos de Taos, NM, 87557 · run by Taos County
This isn’t Ranchos de Taos’ own facility. Whether Ranchos de Taos residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Ranchos de Taos is in Taos Municipal Schools.
C+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Ranchos de Taos is unincorporated, so Taos County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ranchos de Taos spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Ranchos de Taos residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ranchos de Taos | ZIP’s residents in Ranchos de Taos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87557 | Ranchos De Taos, NM | 75% | 31% |
| 87571 | Taos, NM | 25% | 6% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Ranchos de Taos
Who supplies Ranchos de Taos’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ranchos De Taos Mdwca water system (EPA ID NM3507029). It reported 18 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a groundwater treatment requirement (Groundwater Rule) ×17, a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.7 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ranchos de Taos?
Kit Carson Electric Coop (Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ranchos de Taos?
Kit Carson Internet, Xfinity, CenturyLink, Taos Net, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ranchos de Taos?
87557 (75%), 87571 (25%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ranchos de Taos in?
Taos Municipal Schools.
How do I register to vote in Ranchos de Taos?
In 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). Elections here are run by the Taos County Clerk. Check your registration at voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.