New Mexico›Rio Arriba County

Tierra AmarillaNM

A town of 429, settled in 1866.

Tierra Amarilla Historic District · Photo: Carptrash · CC BY 3.0

Population

429

Census survey, 2020–24

Is Tierra Amarilla a good place to live?

No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a lower January low than Tierra Amarilla. Tierra Amarilla has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them La Puente Historic District and Tony Manzanares House. Tierra Amarilla has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

429 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Chama · 13 mi

Tierra Amarilla Historic District · National Register of Historic Places

Tierra Amarilla’s story

160 years in pictures

2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1866Tierra Amarilla is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Tierra Amarilla: who provides what

Tierra Amarilla is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNorthern Rio Arriba E CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterTierra Amarilla Mdwca water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesRio Arriba CountyRio Arriba County provides services here

SchoolsChama Valley Independent SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereRio Arriba County ClerkRio Arriba County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2023

ZIP code8757587575 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 Tierra Amarilla.

Schools

The schools Tierra Amarilla’s kids attend

Its two schools are below. The Chama Valley school district runs its public schools. The 2 public schools in Tierra Amarilla teach 210 students between them.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Tierra Amarilla ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6	Grades PK–6	76	–
Escalante Middle/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12	Grades 7–12	134	–

Full pageTierra Amarilla’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsCHAMA VALLEY Every school2 schools · Escalante Middle/High School Questions“Are Tierra Amarilla’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Natural hazards

Very high risk in Tierra Amarilla, with inland flooding at the top

Tierra Amarilla’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 84 of 100. Four fifths of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 12%.

84risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingWildfire

Full pageTierra Amarilla’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters13 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready1.2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Tierra Amarilla’s workers commute out

In Tierra Amarilla, 1.6% of working residents work locally, below both the New Mexico town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Half of commuters travel less than 29 miles. The top destinations are Chama (25%), Dulce (14%) and Farmington (5%).

2%work in town

Where working residents work

In Tierra Amarilla2%

Chama25%

Dulce14%

Farmington5%

Albuquerque5%

29 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Tierra Amarilla

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageTierra Amarilla’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here43 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work2% work in Tierra Amarilla Commute timesCommute times How far they goHalf commute less than 29 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Tierra Amarilla stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with a typical July afternoon cooler than most

The seasons in Tierra Amarilla: cold, snowy winters, pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 10° and about 75 inches of snow falls in a winter.

75″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter12–41°

Spring28–60°

Summer46–81°

Fall30–62°

Sep 20

typical first frost

Jun 11

typical last frost

+1.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageTierra Amarilla’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 83°, January lows 10°Rain & snow75″ of snow a winter · 17 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A smaller share of adults in Tierra Amarilla have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town

16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Tierra Amarilla. In Tierra Amarilla, 39% of adults have obesity, above both New Mexico’s towns (35%) and U.S. towns (35%). Only 7 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Tierra Amarilla. Two figures for adults locally: 13% report frequent mental distress, 16% have diabetes.

	Tierra Amarilla	New Mexico towns	U.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)	17%	23%	23%
No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES)	20%	16%	8.1%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	13%	16%	17%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	16%	14%	12%