VanderwagenNM
With 61 residents, this town was settled in 1951.
Is Vanderwagen a good place to live?
44% of residents live below the poverty line in Vanderwagen, against 21% in New Mexico’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Vanderwagen. 47% of the land in Vanderwagen is conserved, against 3.9% in New Mexico’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Vanderwagen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
61 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Vanderwagen: who provides what
Vanderwagen is unincorporated, so McKinley 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 Vanderwagen.
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Vanderwagen
1.1 miles of trail. The concentration of trails for Vanderwagen comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Top of a very low hazard risk in Vanderwagen: inland flooding
Compared with 88% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Vanderwagen is lower. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 48% come from inland flooding and 27% from cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Vanderwagen: four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 21 inches of snow, with January nights at 16° and July afternoons at 85°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of New Mexico and the rest of the country, more of Vanderwagen’s adults say their health is fair or poor
In Vanderwagen, 36% of adults get no exercise outside work. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Vanderwagen. Two figures for adults here: 32% smoke cigarettes, 24% have diabetes. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Vanderwagen.
| Vanderwagen | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 26% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Vanderwagen | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.1% | 13.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 34.3% | 14.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Vanderwagen
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Vanderwagen; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Vanderwagen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
About Vanderwagen
Unincorporated community in New Mexico, United States
Vanderwagen is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,149 ft
- ZIP code
- 87326
Questions about Vanderwagen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vanderwagen, NM a good place to live?
Vanderwagen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.