Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town of 7,610 people was founded in 1903.
A tough set of grades. Its weakest is incomes (D−) — the median household income is $36K, and 35% of residents live below the poverty line. Health is weaker too (D): residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Where it does best is cost of living: a typical home costs about $104K, 1.9 years of the Farmington metro’s $56K median household income. It is strong on walkability as well (B+): it is more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns. The overall grade lands at D, 61st of 72 in New Mexico. Set against the rest, it does better than 8% of U.S. towns. Schools are weaker too: its public schools trail 86% of New Mexico towns on state tests and graduation.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Shiprock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,156 in 2000, 7,718 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shiprock is unincorporated, so San Juan 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Shiprock.
Shiprock is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Farmington and other neighbors.
Against the 1,417 U.S. towns with household incomes like Shiprock’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
Among 73 New Mexico towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Shiprock. Shiprock: 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Of 32 CDC measures, Shiprock beats the New Mexico average on 3 and trails it on 22. In Shiprock, 23% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 22% report frequent physical distress.
| Shiprock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 23% | 14% |
| What stands out | Shiprock | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11.4% | 15.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.2% | 7.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32.6% | 14.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Of its 8 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by the Central school district. The largest public high school is Shiprock High, with 502 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tse Bit Ai MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 390 | D− |
| Shiprock HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 502 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
The trail density for Shiprock comes to 1.2 miles per square mile. Trails total 16 miles in 1 park or preserve. The town has one park or preserve, 8 acres in all.
| Shiprock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nizhoni Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 95.1°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 20.7°.
About 9 inches of snow falls in a winter. For Shiprock, the peak summer temperature is 95°F.
| Shiprock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 21°F | 21°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Shiprock has about as many jobs (1,416) as working residents, but only 196 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 514 in 2013 to 1,416.
Shiprock’s average trip to work stands at 29 minutes, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 6 of the 72 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower median household income than Shiprock. Since 2013, Shiprock has added 902 jobs, to 1,416 in 2023. Most people who work leave Shiprock to do it: just 14% work in town.
| Shiprock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 35% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with 64% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Shiprock is higher. Expected losses in Shiprock break down as 76% from inland flooding and 12% from cold waves. Also worth knowing: households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2024.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Shiprock; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Shiprock residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
Town in New Mexico, United States
Shiprock (Navajo: Naatʼáanii Nééz) is an unincorporated community on the Navajo reservation in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,718 people in the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Shiprock as a census-designated place (CDP). It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Shiprock is named after the nearby Shiprock rock formation. Since 1903, the town has been called Naat’áanii Nééz (meaning “tall leader” in the Navajo language) after the San Juan Indian Agency superintendent William T. Shelton who settled Shiprock for the United States government. Diné College is a local four-year college (formerly…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Shiprock grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #61 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades D for health and D for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.