VelardeNM
A town of 229, settled in 1885.
Is Velarde a good place to live?
Velarde has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
229 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Velarde: who provides what
Velarde is unincorporated, so Rio Arriba 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 Velarde.
The schools Velarde’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Espanola school district runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velarde ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 39 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
The biggest natural risk in Velarde is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Velarde’s FEMA hazard score is 90 of 100, against 66 of 100 in New Mexico’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Expected losses in Velarde break down as 74% from inland flooding and 14% from wildfires.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average trip to work in Velarde is longer than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
The share of working residents in Velarde who work locally is 2%, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 8%. Half the trips to work are shorter than 27 miles. The top destinations are Española (20%), Los Alamos (19%) and Albuquerque (11%).
| Velarde | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and hot summers in Velarde
July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 17° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Velarde stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with fewer of its adults who have been diagnosed with depression
Velarde: 12% of adults binge drink. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Velarde is ahead of New Mexico on 4 and behind on 1.
| Velarde | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Velarde | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 18% | 23.2% |
| Fewer adults in frequent mental distress | 13.4% | 16.1% |
| More adults with diabetes | 17.8% | 13.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A home in Velarde sells for about $290K at the median
Among households in Velarde, 62% live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Velarde
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Velarde
About 0 of every 100 Velarde residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
98% of working residents leave Velarde for work
Where Velarde’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Velarde
Census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Velarde is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Velarde had a population of 514. Velarde is located on New Mexico State Road 68, in the Rio Grande Rift, at the point where the road enters the Rio Grande Gorge.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,761 ft
- ZIP code
- 87582
Questions about Velarde
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Velarde, NM a good place to live?
Velarde has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.