Herman's, Roy T., Garage and Service Station · National Register of Historic Places
Thoreau’s story
127 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1899Thoreau is settled
ThoreauNM
A town of 1,973, settled in 1899.
Herman's, Roy T., Garage and Service Station · Photo: Bill Eichelberger · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,973
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$95K
Census ACS
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
34.8
years
Jobs based here
203
A commuter town
Is Thoreau a good place to live?
The best of Thoreau’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Thoreau’s average trip to work is 47 minutes, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 4 of New Mexico’s 156 towns score higher on cost of living. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. Thoreau’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in New Mexico’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Thoreau has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Thoreau stand out
Where Thoreau beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better6 too close to call25 worse
| Widest gap | Thoreau | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 40.7% | 14.2% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Trails NM on 25 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Thoreau has grown 27% from 2010 to 2020
1,865 counted in 2010 and 2,367 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Thoreau grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Thoreau is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $95K, 2 years of the Gallup area’s $48K median household incomeA+Open →Jobs & income$45K median household incomeD−Open →HealthCrownpoint Healthcare Facility 27.2 miles awayD−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 13.1% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Thoreau: who provides what
Thoreau is unincorporated, so McKinley County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerContinental Divide El Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterThoreau Water & Sanitation District3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesMcKinley CountyMcKinley 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 hereMcKinley County ClerkMcKinley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code8732387323 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 Thoreau.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults in Thoreau say their health is fair or poor than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
38% of Thoreau adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Thoreau. 23% of Thoreau adults report frequent physical distress.
2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Thoreau | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 26% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better6 too close to call25 worse
| What stands out | Thoreau | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 7.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 40.7% | 14.2% |
Crownpoint Healthcare Facility
27.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
On state tests, Thoreau’s schools trail 71% of New Mexico districts
Its public schools are run by the Gallup school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Thoreau High, with 389 students.
29%of NM districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thoreau MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 362 | – |
| Thoreau HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 389 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Thoreau
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Thoreau has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Thoreau for work: only 6% work in town. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Thoreau. Jobs based in Thoreau fell to 203 in 2023, 180 fewer than in 2013.
6%work in town
| Thoreau | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 28% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Thoreau6%
Gallup28%
Albuquerque14%
Grants5%
Farmington4%
35 mi
median commute distance
203
jobs based in Thoreau
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 25% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Thoreau
Thoreau has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Thoreau’s July high is 85°F.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–44°
Spring32–63°
Summer52–83°
Fall34–65°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 29
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
9.1%conserved
9.1%
conserved · 2,284 of 25,167 acres
62 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade A+
Thoreau stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
The median rent in Thoreau is $483 a month.
$230Kmedian sale price
| Thoreau | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $483 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 70% | 73% |
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thoreau
17pages on Thoreau
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Thoreau; the nearest are
Navajo Technical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Crownpoint18.5 mi$4,346 in-state tuitionNew Mexico State University-GrantsCommunity college · Public · Grants26.8 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Thoreau residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Thoreau for work
Where Thoreau’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
203jobs based in Thoreau
6%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Thoreau
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thoreau, NM expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $95,000, 70% 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+.