Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety23#716/924
Economy14#796/925
Housing11#822/925
Health58#389/925
Healthcare58#387/923
Environment99#10/917
Education76#227/925
Infrastructure18#757/925
Community68#297/925
Leisure & amenities97#30/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Taos, NM micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Hot days · low0 days
99/100New Mexico 50 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · low16
99/100New Mexico 502025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.1 µg/m³
98/100New Mexico 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high893 /100k
98/100New Mexico 480 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high22.9 /10k
98/100New Mexico 5.9 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,354 /100k
97/100New Mexico 2,042 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Drug overdose deaths · high116.3 /100k
0/100New Mexico 46.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.512
2/100New Mexico 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Injury deaths · high158 /100k
2/100New Mexico 134 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high32.0 /100k
3/100New Mexico 21.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high43.3%
3/100New Mexico 36.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high6.5×
5/100New Mexico 3.9×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
66.8% (2015-2019) → 86.3% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
60.5 /100k (2021) → 116.3 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
+92%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
31.7% (2020 & 2021) → 43.3% (2023 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Median household incomeImproving
$38,329 (2015-2019) → $58,950 (2020-2024)
+54%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
28.7% (2015-2019) → 38.5% (2020-2024)
+9.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$41,862 (2019) → $62,223 (2024)
+49%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Taos, NM micropolitan area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Libraries+43%1.2 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Bachelor's++9.8 points28.7% → 38.5%
Household income+54%$38,329 → $58,950
Broadband+19 points66.8% → 86.3%
Real income+49%$41,862 → $62,223

Declined6

Overdose deaths+301%29.0 /100k → 116.3 /100k
Commute+5.1 min20.4 min → 25.5 min
Restaurants−19%17.4 /10k → 14.2 /10k
Traffic deaths+35%20.1 /100k → 27.2 /100k
Suicides+22%23.8 /100k → 29.1 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Taos, NM micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	10.7 /10k2020	11.9 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	55%
Average commute time	20.4 min2015-2019	25.5 min2020-2024	+5.1 min	Declined	1%
Average weekly wage	$7002020	$9162025	+31%	Improved	94%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.7%2015-2019	38.5%2020-2024	+9.8 points	Improved	100%
Broadband subscriptions	66.8%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	97%
Child poverty rate	23.4%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Distance to an airport	112 mi2020	112 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	29.0 /100k2020	116.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+301%	Declined	0%
Effective property tax rate	0.31%2015-2019	0.34%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Firearm deaths	29.0 /100k2020	32.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+10%	Declined	34%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−0.3%	Little change	50%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	75%
High school diploma or higher	90.1%2015-2019	92.2%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	6.2×2015-2019	6.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	76%
Homicide rate	9.3 /100k2020	9.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Little change	22%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,8622019	$62,2232024	+49%	Improved	97%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4872015-2019	0.5122020-2024	+0.025	Within the margin of error	10%
Median household income	$38,3292015-2019	$58,9502020-2024	+54%	Improved	99%
New business applications	10.7 /1k2020	13.9 /1k2025	+30%	Improved	27%
Pharmacies	0.9 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	97%
Poverty rate	18.3%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Property crime rate	1,219 /100k2020	804 /100k2025	−34%	Improved	51%
Public libraries	1.2 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	+43%	Improved	99%
Rent as share of income	34.5%2015-2019	34.4%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Rent-burdened households	60.4%2015-2019	56.5%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Restaurants and bars	17.4 /10k2020	14.2 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	4%
Suicide rate	23.8 /100k2020	29.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+22%	Declined	23%
Traffic deaths	20.1 /100k2015-2019	27.2 /100k2020-2024	+35%	Declined	13%
Unemployment rate	10.7%2020	4.5%2025	−6.2 points	Improved	98%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.9%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Violent crime rate	247 /100k2020	247 /100k2025	−0.2%	Little change	26%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Taos, NM micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Taos, NM micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Taos, NM micropolitan area itself moved +2.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

34,543 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

15,549 households (±481)

Taos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k25%3,834
$25k–50k20%3,066
$50k–75k15%2,358

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

15,549 households (±481)

Taos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Own78%12,067
Rent22%3,482

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

14,963 workers (±713)

Taos, NM micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone64%9,549
Carpool12%†1,865
Public transit0.4%†67

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Taos, NM micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Taos, NM has 1,083 employer establishments, 315 for every 10,000 residents (1.27× the US rate of 248), with 9,460 paid employees at an average annual pay of $37,047. The Census Bureau also counts 3,568 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,083; 3,568 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 315; US 248
Paid employees: 9,460
Average annual pay: $37,047; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Taos, NM by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	92	26.7	1.45×More than typical	1,260	$23,851	18
Ambulatory health care services	72	20.9	1.00×About typical	782	$48,153	278
Specialty trade contractors	71	20.6	1.33×More than typical	245	$46,502	202
Construction of buildings	63	18.3	2.42×More than typical	156	$44,301	154
Lessors of real estate	56	16.3	1.32×More than typical	200	$39,770	300
Traveler accommodation	48	13.9	7.72×More than typical	1,040	$31,697	56
Full-service restaurants	47	13.6	1.78×More than typical	784	$23,216	7
Building equipment contractors	41	11.9	1.98×More than typical	147	$49,871	55
Services to buildings and dwellings	30	8.7	1.29×More than typical	76	$40,118	241
Limited-service restaurants	29	8.4	1.05×About typical	380	$25,742	5
Offices of other health practitioners	26	7.6	1.24×About typical	202	$41,931	147
Clothing and accessories stores	24	7	1.92×More than typical	60	$32,617	28

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 34,435 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $29.2M on contracts performed in Taos, NM micropolitan area: $844 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $29.2M; −4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $844; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 6.9%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$17.7M61%
Indian Health Service$7.2M25%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2.1M7.3%
Federal Highway Administration$1.3M4.4%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$462.4K1.6%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources$314.8K1.1%
Federal Acquisition Service$21.2K0.1%
Bureau of Land Management$18.4K0.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2MFY2017
7.3MFY2018
6.6MFY2019
7MFY2020
16.6MFY2021
16.2MFY2022
14.4MFY2023
19M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$7.6M26%
Logging · 1133$6.3M22%
Offices of other health practitioners · 6213$4.3M15%
Outpatient care centers · 6214$2.1M7.3%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.3M4.4%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389

Largest awards

NM FTBL 2004(2) WILD RIVERS ROAD THE PURPOSE OF THIS ACTION IS TO AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT$11.6M
WEST POINT CONTRACTORS, INC.· Taos County, NM· Construction & real property· May 21, 2025 – Jun 12, 2026· 6982AF25C000025
ANGOSTURA AND LUNA HAULING CONTRACT NEW OUT RPT # FY26-005521 WPAP#$4M
CONLEY, INC· Taos County, NM· Facilities & utilities· Aug 28, 2026 – Aug 28, 2026· 12363N26F4187
ALAMITOS STEWARDSHIP SC CONTRACT NO. 12363N26C4008 CARSON NF, CAMINO REAL RD PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: DATE OF AWARD - 11/15/2028 COR: [name removed] - [email removed] THE ALAMITOS STEWARDSHIP SC WILL TREAT APPROXIMATELY 662 ACRES T$3.3M
J J EXCAVATION INC· Taos County, NM· Facilities & utilities· Sep 29, 2026 – Sep 29, 2026· 12363N26C4008

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $285.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Taos, NM micropolitan area: $8,263 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $285.6M; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,263; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$175.5M61%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$22.5M7.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$18M6.3%
20.933 · National Infrastructure Investments$14.3M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$12.1M4.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.8M2.4%
15.022 · Tribal Self-Governance$6.1M2.1%
20.116 · Airport Improvement Program$5.4M1.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

PUEBLO OF TAOS$22.3M7.8%
TAOS, NM
NORTHERN REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY$6.5M2.3%
TAOS, NM
TOWN OF TAOS TOWN HALL$5.7M2.0%
TAOS, NM
NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$2.8M1.0%
SANTA FE, NM
TAOS MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS$1.7M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$212.5M74%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.1M8.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$17.3M6.0%
Department of Transportation
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$7.8M2.7%
Department of the Interior
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

236.6MFY2021
271.2MFY2022
283MFY2023
286.7MFY2024
339.5MFY2025
285.6MFY2026

County aggregates

83%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Taos, NM

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Taos CountyCentral county4334,564

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

TaosPrincipal city6,458

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in New Mexico

Areas based in New Mexico, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M45340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Taos, NM micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Taos, NM

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in New Mexico

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought