Chapel, 1939
Vadito’s story
99 years in pictures
The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1927Vadito is settled
VaditoNM
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: John Collier · Public domain
Population
264
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$195K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
49.2
years
Jobs based here
7
A commuter town
Is Vadito a good place to live?
Vadito’s mean commuting time is 42 minutes, above both the New Mexico town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a lower typical July afternoon high than Vadito. Laureano Cordova Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places. Vadito has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Vadito stand out
Where Vadito beats most towns.
Small town
264 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Picuris PuebloVadito
Getting set up
Moving to Vadito: who provides what
Vadito is unincorporated, so Taos County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerKit Carson Electric Coop15.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVadito Mdwca water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesTaos CountyTaos 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 hereTaos County ClerkTaos County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code8757987579 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 Vadito.
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Vadito is higher than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
FEMA puts 59% of Vadito’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 29% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.
96risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Vadito’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
8.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Vadito. Half commute less than 41 miles. The top destinations are Albuquerque (18%), Taos (14%) and Los Alamos (10%).
0%work in town
| Vadito | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Vadito0%
Albuquerque18%
Taos14%
Los Alamos10%
Santa Fe5%
41 mi
median commute distance
7
jobs based in Vadito
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Vadito brings four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 11 inches of snow, with January nights at 15° and July afternoons at 81°.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–42°
Spring31–60°
Summer49–80°
Fall33–62°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Vadito stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression
31% of Vadito adults get no exercise outside work. The town does better than the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. Two figures for adults in the town: 17% have diabetes, 28% say their health is fair or poor.
| Vadito | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 69% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Vadito | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.8% | 15.6% |
Holy Cross Hospital A Div of Taos Health Systems
16.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0.4% of Vadito is conserved land
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 0.6 miles. Vadito’s trail density comes in at 0.7 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: one, of 2 acres.
0.4%conserved
| Vadito | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 2 of 549 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carson National Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Vadito sells for about $275K at the median
The share of households in Vadito who own their home: 85%. For Vadito, the going rate for rent is $938 a month.
$275Kmedian sale price
| Vadito | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $938 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Wheeler Peak and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Vadito. Close and well known come first.
29 mi MountainWheeler Peak
37 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
38 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
29 mi Ski areaSki Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q3855588 runs · 1,753 ft vertical
31 mi National forestCarson National Forest
38 mi Park & preserveSanta Fe PlazaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wheeler Peak: Davishan99, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bandelier National Monument: Andrew Dunn (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555: Ybratcher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carson National Forest: David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo, CC BY 2.0 · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Vadito
16pages on Vadito
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Vadito
About 6 of every 100 Vadito residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Vadito for work
Where Vadito’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
7jobs based in Vadito
0%of working residents work in town
41 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Vadito
CDP in New Mexico, United States
Vadito is a census-designated place (CDP) in southern Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is on the scenic High Road to Taos. As of the 2020 census, Vadito had a population of 258.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,451 ft
- ZIP code
- 87579
Questions about Vadito
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vadito, NM a good place to live?
Vadito has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.