The Town FilesPeña Blanca, New Mexico
Community in Sandoval County · population 624 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $222,100
- Household income
- $71,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 8 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 53.8
Peña Blanca is a community of 624 people in Sandoval County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $222,100, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 94% of New Mexico towns, better for a vacation home than 91% of New Mexico towns, better transit than 80% of New Mexico towns.
How Peña Blanca 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
The median home in Peña Blanca is worth $222,100, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $71,250, which is more affordable than 58% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $99 a month. 88.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Peña Blanca | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $222,100 | $187,400 |
| Median rent | $99 | $916 |
| Median household income | $71,250 | $55,614 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.2× |
| Homeownership | 88.2% | 80.1% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1984 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.1% | — |
Who lives in Peña Blanca
| People | Peña Blanca | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.8 | 39.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.7% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 9.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.9% | 18.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.4% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 6.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.3% | — |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 8.3% |
| Average commute | 45.2 min | 24.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 79.9% | 82.9% |
Weather in Peña Blanca
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 20.0°F. About 11.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 8.2 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 70 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Peña Blanca since 1950, compared with 3 for the typical New Mexico town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on May 17, 2021 about 2.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 17, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 23, 2020.
Severe weather in Sandoval County since 1996
Sandoval County has been included in 22 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 |
| May 4, 2022 | Fire | DR-4652: Wildfires, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows |
| April 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3460: Covid-19 |
| June 15, 2017 | Fire | FM-5184: El Cajete Fire |
Jobs and pay in Sandoval County
Sandoval County had 35,653 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,474 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Peña Blanca itself the ACS puts it at 7.9%.
Public schools in Peña Blanca
2 public schools with 233 students, about 8.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| COCHITI ELEMENTARY | PK-5 | 169 | 9.9 |
| COCHITI MIDDLE | 6-8 | 64 | 5.8 |
Towns near Peña Blanca
- Santo Domingo Pueblo, NM3.9 mi · 2,311 people · home $156,400
- San Felipe Pueblo, NM10.2 mi · 2,542 people · home $210,100
- La Cienega, NM12.3 mi · 3,885 people · home $517,100
- Valle Vista, NM15.4 mi · 928 people · home $322,600
- Algodones, NM16.4 mi · 720 people · home $234,800
- White Rock, NM17.8 mi · 5,852 people · home $500,700
- Tres Arroyos, NM18.0 mi · 2,123 people · home $678,500
- Placitas, NM18.3 mi · 5,041 people · home $562,100
Peña Blanca questions
Is Peña Blanca, New Mexico a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Peña Blanca scores better for retirees than 50% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 69%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.8).
How much does a house cost in Peña Blanca?
The median owner-occupied home in Peña Blanca is valued at $222,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,250, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $99 a month.
What is the weather like in Peña Blanca?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 20.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.8 inches of precipitation a year and 8.2 inches of snow.
Does Peña Blanca get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Peña Blanca since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on May 17, 2021. The typical New Mexico town has had 3.
- 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)