Questa, New Mexico

Village in Taos County · population 1,742 (2020 Census)

Median home: $233,500
Household income: $47,308
Jan low / Jul high: 8° / 83°
Snow a year: 62 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 51.8

Questa is a village of 1,742 people in Taos County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $233,500, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks better for cycling than 99% of New Mexico towns, better for a vacation home than 92% of New Mexico towns, quieter than 87% of New Mexico towns.

How Questa 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 Questa is worth $233,500, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 4.9 times the median household income of $47,308, which is more affordable than 15% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $703 a month. 67.9% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Questa	Typical New Mexico town
Median home value	$233,500	$187,400
Median rent	$703	$916
Median household income	$47,308	$55,614
Home value ÷ income	4.9×	3.2×
Homeownership	67.9%	80.1%
Median year built	1984	1984
Seasonal / vacation homes	8.7%	—

Who lives in Questa

People	Questa	Typical New Mexico town
Median age	51.8	39.9
Age 65 and over	28.0%	19.1%
Under 18	14.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.4%	18.7%
Below the poverty line	17.5%	18.0%
Veterans	10.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.1%	—
Work from home	15.5%	8.3%
Average commute	20.0 min	24.4 min
Homes with broadband	70.7%	82.9%

Weather in Questa

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 7.9°F. About 13.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 61.5 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 206 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 Cerro station (2.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

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

Severe weather in Taos County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Taos County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Taos County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
April 5, 2020	Biological	DR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3460: Covid-19
October 29, 2013	Flood	DR-4152: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 24, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-1962: Severe Winter Storm And Extreme Cold Temperatures
August 30, 2006	Severe Storm	DR-1659: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Taos County

Taos County had 11,075 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,377 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Questa itself the ACS puts it at 3%.

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 Questa

5 public schools with 375 students, about 9.6 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
ALTA VISTA ELEMENTARY	PK-3	107	10.7
QUESTA HIGH	9-12	102	10.2
QUESTA JR HIGH	6-8	70	10.0
ROOTS & WINGS COMMUNITY (charter)	K-8	52	10.4
ALTA VISTA INTERMEDIATE	4-5	44	6.3

Towns near Questa

Red River, NM
10.0 mi · 542 people · home $427,500
Arroyo Seco, NM
13.2 mi · 1,979 people · home $603,500
Taos Pueblo, NM
17.2 mi · 1,196 people · home $371,600
Taos, NM
22.5 mi · 6,474 people · home $445,900
Ranchos de Taos, NM
24.2 mi · 2,707 people · home $349,700
Talpa, NM
25.7 mi · 960 people · home $387,300
Angel Fire, NM
29.8 mi · 1,192 people · home $546,800

Questa questions

Is Questa, New Mexico a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Questa scores better for retirees than 69% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 87%. 28.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.8).

How much does a house cost in Questa?

The median owner-occupied home in Questa is valued at $233,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,308, so homes cost about 4.9 times income. Median rent is $703 a month.

What is the weather like in Questa?

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 7.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.4 inches of precipitation a year and 61.5 inches of snow.

Does Questa get tornadoes?

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

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Questa's Census boundary (GEOID 3560870). 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.