Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
37% of the land in Red River is conserved, against 3.9% in New Mexico’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Red River has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Orin Mallette Cabin and Sylvester M. Mallette Cabin. Red River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Red River beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 332 in 1980, 542 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Red River, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Red River.
42% of Red River’s working residents work right in town. In Red River, the average trip to work is 10 minutes, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The share of residents in Red River who live below the poverty line: 8.9%. Also worth knowing: jobs based in Red River grew to 570 in 2023, 369 more than in 2013.
| Red River | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 42% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 21% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. 84 students attend Red River’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red River Valley Charter SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 84 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Households in Red River have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2011. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by avalanches at 28%. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 1979: 5.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 7 of the 71 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher trail density than Red River. 3.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Carson National Forest, 243 acres with 1.4 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carson National Forest | 1.4 mi | 243 |
| 2. Columbine-Hondo Wilderness | — | 27 |
| 3. Mallette Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 29% of adults 25 and older, vs 31% across New Mexico. Adults 18 to 34 are 6% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 52% of residents (37% statewide).
Somewhere between 34% and 98% women
The Census survey reached too few of Red River’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±32.2 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Red River | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.3% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 33.1% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.7% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.8% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 39.4% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.6% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.8% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Red River: 41% of households are owner-occupiers. Its going rate for rent is $933 a month.
| Red River | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $933 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Red River has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 73°, January nights drop to 12° and about 157 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Red River is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
18% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Red River. CDC measures, 32 in all: Red River beats New Mexico on 9 and trails on 2. Among adults locally, 30% sleep under 7 hours and 70% had a checkup this year.
| Red River | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 69% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 27% | 25% |
| What stands out | Red River | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.4% | 15.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9% | 16.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Red River. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MountainWheeler Peakin town Ski areaRed River Ski Area85 runs · 1,629 ft vertical9 mi Ski areaTaos Ski Valley103 runs · 2,468 ft vertical
38 mi National forestCarson National Forest25 mi Ski areaAngel Fire Resort101 runs · 2,205 ft vertical21 mi MuseumMillicent Rogers MuseumWheeler Peak: Davishan99, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carson National Forest: David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo, CC BY 2.0
None within 15 miles of Red River; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Red River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Where Red River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New Mexico, United States
Red River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, US in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 542 at the 2020 census. Red River is on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, and is 36 miles (58 km) from Taos.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Red River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
