1989 Corsica, 1989
White Sands’s story
White Sands in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1989 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
Explore the history →
White SandsNM
A town of 1,609. A regional job hub with 799 jobs.
Launch Complex 33 · Photo: NASA · Public domain
Population
1,609
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
22.5
years
Jobs based here
799
A job hub
Is White Sands a good place to live?
White Sands’ best subject grade is an A for health. White Sands’ average trip to work is 11 minutes, below both New Mexico’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 9 of New Mexico’s 161 towns score higher on health. White Sands’ trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both the New Mexico town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). White Sands has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestAHealth
What makes White Sands stand out
Where White Sands beats most towns.
A shrinking town
White Sands has shrunk 44% from 2010 to 2020
1,651 counted in 2010 and 926 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How White Sands grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far White Sands is from typical.
HealthMountain View Regional Medical Center 14.9 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →Cost of livingHome prices against what area households earnC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.5 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 20.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
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 →
Getting set up
Moving to White Sands: who provides what
White Sands is unincorporated, so Doña Ana County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEl Paso Electric10.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWhite Sands Missile Range (Main Post)-Ff water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDoña Ana CountyDoña Ana 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 hereDona Ana County Bureau of ElectionsDoña Ana County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code8800288002 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 Sands.
SchoolsB−
On state tests, White Sands’ schools beat 54% of New Mexico districts
Its public schools are run by the Las Cruces school district. Its one school is below.
54%of NM districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sands ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 270 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in White Sands than in most of New Mexico or the rest of the country
1.9% of White Sands residents live below the poverty line. Most working residents leave White Sands for work: only 7% work in town. The median household income in White Sands is $90,000.
7%work in town
| White Sands | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In White Sands7%
Las Cruces27%
El Paso18%
Albuquerque8%
Holloman AFB3%
37 mi
median commute distance
799
jobs based in White Sands
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthA
White Sands ranks healthier than 85% of the country’s towns
White Sands beats the New Mexico average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 5.4% of adults have diabetes in White Sands. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of adults who binge drink than White Sands.
85%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| White Sands | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 5.4% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New Mexico
18 better9 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | White Sands | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 2.5% | 7.2% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 5.4% | 13.2% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.3% | 13.7% |
Mountain View Regional Medical Center
14.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
White Sands has mild winters and hot summers
White Sands has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. White Sands’ July high is 95°F.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–59°
Spring45–78°
Summer65–94°
Fall47–77°
Nov 13
typical first frost
Mar 12
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in White Sands
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB
White Sands has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
5.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,694 acres
5.9 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Missile Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 2. Volunteer Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Bicentennial Grove | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about White Sands
16pages on White Sands
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of White Sands; the nearest are
New Mexico State University-Dona AnaCommunity college · Public · Las Cruces15.2 mi$2,322 in-state tuitionNew Mexico State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Las Cruces17.3 mi$8,183 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 White Sands residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
A job hub
Every workday, about 785 people come to White Sands for work
Where White Sands’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
799jobs based in White Sands
7%of working residents work in town
37 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About White Sands
Census-designated place in the United States
White Sands is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. It consists of the main residential area on the White Sands Missile Range. As of the 2020 census, White Sands had a population of 926. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,300 ft