San RafaelNM
A town of 1,039.
Is San Rafael a good place to live?
San Rafael’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for walkability. San Rafael’s median age is 59.3 years, against 37.2 years in New Mexico’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 2 of New Mexico’s 159 towns do worse. On history, just 14 of New Mexico’s 161 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is El Malpais National Conservation Area, at 266 acres. San Rafael has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,039 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How San Rafael grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far San Rafael is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to San Rafael: who provides what
San Rafael is unincorporated, so Cibola 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 San Rafael.
On state tests, San Rafael’s schools trail 68% of New Mexico districts
Its public schools are run by the Grants school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 49 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
A smaller share of working residents work locally in San Rafael than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
0.4% of working residents work locally in San Rafael, below both New Mexico’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (8%). Since 2013, San Rafael has added 37 jobs, to 38 in 2023. 13% of San Rafael residents live below the poverty line.
| San Rafael | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and hot summers in San Rafael
San Rafael has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. San Rafael’s July high is 89°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. El Malpais National Conservation Area | 0.2 mi | 266 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
San Rafael faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fewer of San Rafael’s adults have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in San Rafael. San Rafael beats the New Mexico average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 16% of adults have diabetes in San Rafael.
| San Rafael | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 23% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 33% |
| What stands out | San Rafael | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.3% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 8.3% | 11% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.6% | 14.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in San Rafael sells for about $69K at the median
Of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than San Rafael.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about San Rafael
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of San Rafael
About 0 of every 100 San Rafael residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
100% of working residents leave San Rafael for work
Where San Rafael’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About San Rafael
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
San Rafael is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, San Rafael had a population of 1,164. Also known as "Bikyaya" or "El Gallo", it lies at an elevation of 6,470 feet (1,970 m) above sea level and is located in north-central Cibola County at (35.1125386, -107.8825580). New Mexico State Road 53 passes through the community, leading north 3 miles (5 km) to Interstate 40 and 5 miles (8 km) to the center of Grants, the county seat. An 1850 U.S. Army map shows a Hay Camp near San Rafael. Fort Wingate was established (moved from Seboyeta, New Mexico) by Lt. Colonel J. Francisco Chavez, 1st New Mexico Infantry under the orders of Genera…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 10 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,470 ft
- ZIP code
- 87051
Questions about San Rafael
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is San Rafael, NM expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $120,000, 62% below the New Mexico typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.