Red Dot Trail Petroglyph with big paws, 2006
White Rock’s story
White Rock in pictures
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White RockNM
A town of 5,716. More miles of trail than almost any town in New Mexico.
Photo: AllenS · Public domain
Population
5,716
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$501K
Census ACS
Household income
$157K
median
Median age
41.8
years
Jobs based here
289
A commuter town
TownGrade
A+
#2 of 72 in NM
Is White Rock a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. White Rock earns an A+, ranked 2nd of 72 in New Mexico. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates, its schools rank ahead of 96% of New Mexico towns, and a typical home costs about $501K, 3.4 years of the Los Alamos area’s $147K median household income. Its lowest mark, an A, is in incomes. 71% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in White Rock, above both the New Mexico town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town in New Mexico scores higher than White Rock on the outdoors. White Rock has 1 place on the National Register.
What makes White Rock stand out
Where White Rock beats most towns.
OutdoorsA+
#2 most trails in NM
30.6% of the town is conserved land.
32 measures vs. New Mexico
23 better8 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | White Rock | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 20.9% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 99% of U.S. towns
Beats NM on 23 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
LOS ALAMOS schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pinon Elementary | PK–6 | 350 |
| Chamisa Elementary | PK–6 | 301 |
| Ponderosa Montessori School | PK–6 | 54 |
SchoolsA+
#1 of the 73 New Mexico towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Get outside
51 miles of trails in White Rock
30.6% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
3
PAHOA land0.3 mi of trails · 8 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How White Rock grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far White Rock is from typical.
HealthAmong the healthiest U.S. towns; Los Alamos Medical Center 8.1 miles awayA+Open →SchoolsA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income289 jobs based hereAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 50 attractions →Bandelier National Monument and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around White Rock. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National MonumentBandelier National Monument248K visitors a year
11 mi National PreserveValles Caldera National Preserve85K visitors a year
4 mi National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park56K visitors a year
17 mi MuseumGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
15 mi Park & preserveKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
17 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 · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain · Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Marshallhenrie, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Fe Plaza: See above, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
Moving to White Rock: who provides what
White Rock is unincorporated, so Los Alamos County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJemez Mountains Elec Coop15.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLos Alamos Municipal Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLos Alamos CountyLos Alamos 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 hereLos Alamos County ClerkLos Alamos County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2021
ZIP code8754787547 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 White Rock.
White Rock is the healthiest town in New Mexico, pairs an A+ for schools with modest home prices and has more trail for its size than nearly any town in New Mexico.
OutdoorsA+
White Rock stands out in New Mexico and nationally, with trail density higher than most
At 7.2 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 66 New Mexico towns. Its 1,387 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 90% of New Mexico towns.
White Rock’s trail density is 7.2 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Overlook Park, 79 acres with 1.7 miles of trail. 51 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
#2for trails in NM
30.6%
conserved · 1,387 of 4,528 acres
51 mi
of trails · 7.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Overlook Park | 1.7 mi | 79 |
| 2. Piñon Park | 0.7 mi | 23 |
| 3. PAHOA land | 0.3 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA+
White Rock earns an A+ for schools
Its A+ for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $501K. Its A+ ranks #1 of the 73 New Mexico towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Los Alamos school district. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
96%of NM districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinon ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 350 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
Fewer of White Rock’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
It is the healthiest of the 73 New Mexico towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with New Mexico is food insecurity: 5.2% of its 4,569 adults worry about having enough food, against 20.9% statewide.
9.8% of adults report frequent physical distress in White Rock. No town among the 73 in New Mexico we compare has a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than White Rock. 11% of adults report frequent mental distress in White Rock.
99%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| White Rock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 28% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 26% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
23 better8 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | White Rock | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 20.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.6% | 15.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 7.4% |
Los Alamos Medical Center
8.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
99th
percentile among NM towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About three in four of White Rock’s working residents commute to Los Alamos
White Rock has 289 jobs for its 3,040 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave White Rock for work: only 4% work in town. The median household income in White Rock is $157,000. No town among the 73 in New Mexico we compare has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than White Rock.
4%work in town
| White Rock | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $157,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In White Rock4%
Los Alamos74%
Albuquerque8%
Santa Fe4%
Española1%
7 mi
median commute distance
289
jobs based in White Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In White Rock, expect four seasons and hot summers
White Rock has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 18° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–47°
Spring35–68°
Summer55–88°
Fall37–68°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in White Rock
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
The median home in White Rock sells for about $555K
The median property tax bill is $2,681, against $1,731 across New Mexico, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
98% of White Rock households own their home.
$555Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
9
days on market
100.9%
sale-to-list price
11
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about White Rock
17pages on White Rock
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of White Rock
University of New Mexico-Los Alamos CampusCommunity college · Public · Los Alamos8.2 mi$2,214 in-state tuitionSouthwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santa Fe14.8 mi
About 6 of every 100 White Rock residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Mexico.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave White Rock for work
Where White Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
289jobs based in White Rock
4%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About White Rock
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
White Rock is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Los Alamos County, New Mexico. It is one of two major population centers in the county; the other is Los Alamos (the county seat). As of the 2020 census, White Rock had a population of 5,852. It is largely a bedroom community for employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory and their families. Access to White Rock from the town of Los Alamos and other cities and towns in New Mexico is via New Mexico State Road 4, which forms the northwestern boundary of the community. Administratively, White Rock is a neighborhood of Los Alamos; locals refer to Los Alamos (meaning not White Rock) as "the Townsite," or "the Hill". …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,365 ft
- ZIP code
- 87547
Questions about White Rock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is White Rock, NM a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. White Rock grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #2 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades A+ for health and A+ for schools.
Is White Rock, NM expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $501,000, 59% above the New Mexico typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.