The Town FilesEl Duende, New Mexico
Community in Rio Arriba County · population 573 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $124,081
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 11 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 37.7
El Duende is a community of 573 people in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It ranks better transit than 89% of New Mexico towns, more of a college town than 73% of New Mexico towns, easier by car than 70% of New Mexico towns.
How El Duende ranks
Percentile among New Mexico towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Mexico towns.
Homes and cost of living
100.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | El Duende | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $187,400 |
| Median rent | — | $916 |
| Median household income | $124,081 | $55,614 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 3.2× |
| Homeownership | 100.0% | 80.1% |
| Median year built | 1995 | 1984 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in El Duende
| People | El Duende | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.7 | 39.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.0% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 36.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0.3% | 18.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 0.4% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 0.4% | 8.3% |
| Average commute | — min | 24.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 82.9% |
Weather in El Duende
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 15.3°F. About 11.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 10.7 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 41 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 182 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of El Duende since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on June 5, 1978.
Severe weather in Rio Arriba County since 1996
Rio Arriba County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | Flood | EM-3660: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| June 20, 2024 | Fire | DR-4795: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding |
| April 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3460: Covid-19 |
| October 6, 2014 | Severe Storm | DR-4197: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Rio Arriba County
Rio Arriba County had 9,291 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,908 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in El Duende itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Towns near El Duende
- Hernandez, NM1.1 mi · 756 people · home $148,200
- Chamita, NM2.0 mi · 1,005 people · home $222,300
- San Jose, NM2.7 mi · 670 people · home $254,900
- Chili, NM2.8 mi · 541 people · home $296,300
- La Villita, NM4.7 mi · 999 people · home $253,500
- Ohkay Owingeh, NM5.0 mi · 1,464 people · home —
- Española, NM5.6 mi · 10,526 people · home $210,800
- Los Luceros, NM6.1 mi · 891 people · home —
El Duende questions
Is El Duende, New Mexico a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, El Duende scores better for retirees than 66% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 48%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.7).
What is the weather like in El Duende?
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 15.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.1 inches of precipitation a year and 10.7 inches of snow.
Does El Duende get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of El Duende in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)