Truchas, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 1943
Truchas’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1943 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1894Truchas is settled
TruchasNM
Population 528: a town settled in 1894.
Population
528
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$316K
Census ACS
Median age
65.5
years
Jobs based here
13
A commuter town
Is Truchas a good place to live?
Truchas’ typical July afternoon high is 80°F, against 93°F in New Mexico’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Truchas. Truchas’ trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Truchas has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
528 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CordovaTruchas
Getting set up
Moving to Truchas: who provides what
Truchas is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTruchas Mdwca water system12 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers83% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRio Arriba CountyRio Arriba 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 hereRio Arriba County ClerkRio Arriba County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2023
ZIP code8757887578 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 Truchas.
Work & commute
Most of Truchas’ workers head elsewhere: there are 0.2 jobs for each of them
In Truchas, 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 31 miles. The top destinations are Los Alamos (23%), Albuquerque (19%) and Santa Fe (9%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Truchas0%
Los Alamos23%
Albuquerque19%
Santa Fe9%
Española5%
31 mi
median commute distance
13
jobs based in Truchas
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Truchas, mostly inland flooding
Compared with 78% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Truchas is higher. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Truchas once, in 2024. Expected losses in Truchas break down as 62% from inland flooding and 26% from wildfires.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireLightning
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Truchas
The range runs from 19° on a January night to 80° on a July afternoon, with about 108 inches of snow a winter.
108″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–41°
Spring32–59°
Summer51–78°
Fall36–60°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 28
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of New Mexico and the rest of the country, fewer of Truchas’ adults binge drink
73% of Truchas adults had a checkup this year. Only 6 of the 74 New Mexico towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Truchas. The town does better than the New Mexico average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 15.
| Truchas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
4 better13 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Truchas | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.2% | 13.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.4% | 73.3% |
| More adults with diabetes | 21.4% | 13.2% |
Presbyterian Espanola Hospital
15.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 0.1% of Truchas
Trails run 0.9 miles in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Truchas: one, of 2 acres.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 7 of 4,416 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carson National Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in Truchas sells for about $285K
The share of households in Truchas who own their home: 85%.
$285Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Bandelier National Monument and 25 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Truchas. Close and well known come first.
24 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
33 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
25 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
17 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft vertical
32 mi National Historical ParkPecos National Historical Park37K visitors a year
25 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 · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pecos National Historical Park: Mosamiazaz at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Truchas
16pages on Truchas
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Truchas; the nearest are
Northern New Mexico CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Espanola15.4 mi$6,400 in-state tuitionUniversity of New Mexico-Taos CampusCommunity college · Public · Ranchos de Taos23.4 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Truchas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Truchas for work
Where Truchas’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
13jobs based in Truchas
0%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Truchas
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Truchas, NM a good place to live?
Truchas has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.