Española, New Mexico

City in Rio Arriba County · population 10,526 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Median home: $210,800
Household income: $47,667
Jan low / Jul high: 15° / 88°
Snow a year: 11 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 35.7

Española is a city of 10,526 people in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $210,800, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks more vibrant than 86% of New Mexico towns, more walkable than 85% of New Mexico towns, hipper than 83% of New Mexico towns.

How Española 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Española is worth $210,800, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $47,667, which is more affordable than 20% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $829 a month. 65.2% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Mexico towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Española	Typical New Mexico town
Median home value	$210,800	$187,400
Median rent	$829	$916
Median household income	$47,667	$55,614
Home value ÷ income	4.4×	3.2×
Homeownership	65.2%	80.1%
Median year built	1978	1984
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.5%	—

Who lives in Española

People	Española	Typical New Mexico town
Median age	35.7	39.9
Age 65 and over	18.1%	19.1%
Under 18	24.5%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.3%	18.7%
Below the poverty line	20.4%	18.0%
Veterans	3.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	14.2%	—
Work from home	5.8%	8.3%
Average commute	30.8 min	24.4 min
Homes with broadband	71.8%	82.9%

Weather in Española

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.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Alcalde station (6.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Española since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on June 5, 1978.

Severe weather in Rio Arriba County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Rio Arriba County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

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 Española itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Española

4 public schools with 1,040 students, about 12.7 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
CARLOS F. VIGIL MIDDLE	7-8	401	13.4
EUTIMIO SALAZAR ELEMENTARY	PK-6	352	12.6
JAMES RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY	1-6	231	12.2
LOS NINOS ELEMENTARY	PK-K	56	11.2

Towns near Española

San Jose, NM
2.8 mi · 670 people · home $254,900
Santa Clara Pueblo, NM
2.9 mi · 930 people · home $123,900
Ohkay Owingeh, NM
3.2 mi · 1,464 people · home —
La Puebla, NM
4.0 mi · 1,123 people · home $266,500
La Mesilla, NM
4.3 mi · 1,844 people · home $315,800
El Valle de Arroyo Seco, NM
4.3 mi · 1,431 people · home —
Hernandez, NM
4.5 mi · 756 people · home $148,200
Chamita, NM
4.7 mi · 1,005 people · home $222,300

Española questions

Is Española, New Mexico a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Española scores better for retirees than 52% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 16%. 18.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.7).

How much does a house cost in Española?

The median owner-occupied home in Española is valued at $210,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,667, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $829 a month.

What is the weather like in Española?

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 Española get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Española in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Española's Census boundary (GEOID 3525170). Comparisons use the median of New Mexico towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.