1st Baptist, 2009
Roy’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1901Roy is settled
RoyNM
A town settled in 1901, now home to 185 people.
Photo: Leaflet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
185
2025 Census estimate · −4.1% since 2020
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
55.5
years
Jobs based here
47
A commuter town
Is Roy a good place to live?
30% of residents live below the poverty line in Roy, against 21% in New Mexico’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 4 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher midpoint age than Roy. Roy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
185 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Roy: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roy, and how to reach them.
PowerMora-San Miguel Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterRoy (Village Of) water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Roy’s trash rules yet
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 hereHarding County ClerkHarding County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code8774387743 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 Roy.
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than New Mexico overall
Roy: 39% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 35 to 64 are 53% of residents (37% statewide); children under 18 are 6% of residents (22% statewide). The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Roy at 185 residents, down 4.1% since 2020.
55.5median age · NM 39.4
RoyNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school37%
Some college10%
Associate’s1%
Bachelor’s11%
Graduate28%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 34% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of Roy’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14 points. Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Roy | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 21.9% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.9% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.9% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.2% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 10.3% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0.8% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.1% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 27.6% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Roy’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Roy school district. 2 public schools serve Roy, with 72 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roy ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 39 | A+ |
| Roy HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 33 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Roy’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Roy for work: only 10% work in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (18%), Mosquero (16%) and Las Vegas (6%). In Roy, the typical household income is $43,000. The median commute is under 62 miles.
10%work in town
| Roy | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Roy10%
Albuquerque18%
Mosquero16%
Las Vegas6%
Amarillo5%
62 mi
median commute distance
47
jobs based in Roy
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Roy, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Roy break down as 66% from inland flooding and 21% from wildfires. Its risk rating from FEMA is 73 of 100.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Roy: four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 19°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–49°
Spring35–67°
Summer56–86°
Fall38–68°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Roy than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Roy. In Roy, a fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression. This New Mexico town beats the New Mexico average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Roy | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
5 better15 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Roy | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.9% | 13.7% |
| Fewer adults in frequent mental distress | 13.5% | 16.1% |
| More adults with diabetes | 21.2% | 13.2% |
Alta Vista Regional Hospital
49.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Roy
16pages on Roy
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Roy; the nearest are
Mesalands Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tucumcari59.4 mi$2,136 in-state tuitionNew Mexico Highlands UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Las Vegas62.2 mi$7,416 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Roy residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Roy for work
Where Roy’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
47jobs based in Roy
10%of working residents work in town
62 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Roy
Village in New Mexico, United States
Roy is a village in Harding County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 192 in the 2020 census. Roy was a filming location in the 2009 comedy film Did You Hear About the Morgans?. NFL Hall of Famer Tommy McDonald was born in Roy. Musician Bob Wills lived in Roy as a young man.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,896 ft
- ZIP code
- 87743
Questions about Roy
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roy, NM a good place to live?
Roy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.