South RiverNM
A town of 1,810.
Is South River a good place to live?
South River’s weakest subject grade is a D for walkability. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 3 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than South River. South River’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. South River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
99% of working residents leave South River for work
Where South River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How South River grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far South River is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to South River: who provides what
South River 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South River.
About half of South River’s working residents commute to Farmington
Most working residents leave South River for work: only 1% work in town. At 33 minutes, South River’s average trip to work is against 23 minutes in New Mexico’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 14% of South River residents live below the poverty line.
| South River | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
On CDC estimates, South River is less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
South River beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 71% of adults had a checkup this year in South River.
| South River | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 69% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | South River | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12.4% | 15.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.9% | 14.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Four seasons and hot summers in South River
South River has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in South River is 92°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
High risk in South River, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City of Farmington Animas River Fishing Access | 0.7 mi | 61 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median home in South River sells for about $530K
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about South River
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South River
About 8 of every 100 South River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
South River’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with South River.
| Town | NM rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South River | — | — | B− | — | B | C |
| Crouch Mesa | #21 | C | A− | — | B | C− |
| Flora Vista | #55 | D | C | — | B | C+ |
| Spencerville | — | — | C | — | C+ | C |
| Aztec | #51 | D | B | C− | C+ | C |
| Farmington | #40 | C− | C | D | B | C+ |
South River and Spencerville have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. South River, Crouch Mesa, Flora Vista and Spencerville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South River with a neighbor →
Questions about South River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South River, NM expensive?
The typical home is worth about $260,000, 18% 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 B−.