Agrilus aureus dorsal1, 2012
Santa Cruz’s story
331 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1695Santa Cruz is settled
Santa CruzNM
Population
228
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$343K
+6.4% in a year
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
1
A commuter town
Is Santa Cruz a good place to live?
31% of residents live below the poverty line in Santa Cruz, above both New Mexico’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 3 have a lower share of households owning their home than Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Santa Cruz stand out
Where Santa Cruz beats most towns.
Getting set up
Moving to Santa Cruz: who provides what
Santa Cruz is unincorporated, so Santa Fe County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSanta Cruz Water Association25 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSanta Fe CountySanta Fe 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 hereSanta Fe County ClerkSanta Fe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP codes87532, 8756787532 51% · 87567 49%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 Santa Cruz.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Santa Cruz is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Expected losses in Santa Cruz break down as 78% from inland flooding and 14% from wildfires. The town’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 85 of 100.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Santa Cruz’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.0 jobs for each of them
The median household income for Santa Cruz comes to $34,000. Half commute less than 17 miles. The top destinations are Española (20%), Los Alamos (18%) and Santa Fe (17%).
0%work in town
| Santa Cruz | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Santa Cruz0%
Española20%
Los Alamos18%
Santa Fe17%
Albuquerque14%
17 mi
median commute distance
1
jobs based in Santa Cruz
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Santa Cruz brings four seasons and hot summers
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 90° on a July afternoon, with about 11 inches of snow a winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–48°
Spring34–69°
Summer54–88°
Fall36–69°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Santa Cruz is
Santa Cruz: just over a third of adults sleep under 7 hours. CDC measures, 32 in all: Santa Cruz beats New Mexico on 3 and trails on 4. In Santa Cruz, 12% of adults binge drink, and 30% have obesity.
| Santa Cruz | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 69% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 23% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
3 better25 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Santa Cruz | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.7% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.9% | 15.6% |
Presbyterian Espanola Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Santa Cruz is valued at about $343K
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.4% in value.
$343KZillow home value
Typical home value
Santa Cruz$343K
New Mexico$316K
+6.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 34 attractions →Bandelier National Monument and 25 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Santa Cruz. Close and well known come first.
13 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
21 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
22 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
17 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
20 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft vertical
22 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe PlazaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Valles Caldera National Preserve: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, Public domain · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Santa Cruz
15pages on Santa Cruz
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Santa Cruz
About 3 of every 100 Santa Cruz residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Small town
228 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
EspañolaCuartelezSanta Cruz
About Santa Cruz
CDP in New Mexico, United States
Santa Cruz, historically known as Santa Cruz de la Cañada, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Santa Cruz had a population of 416.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1695
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,663 ft
- ZIP code
- 87567
Questions about Santa Cruz
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Santa Cruz, NM a good place to live?
Santa Cruz has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.