Cold semi-arid
La Mesilla, New Mexico
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico · Population 2.5k · 5,620 ft elevation
Living in La Mesilla
La Mesilla has a cold semi-arid climate: hot summers (July highs around 88°F) and cold winters (January lows around 16°F).
Precipitation is very dry at about 11″ a year, and it gets light snow (11″ a season).
Skies are exceptionally sunny (74% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is moderate: a median AQI of 44 and virtually no unhealthy-air days.
La Mesilla is an outdoor hub: about 66% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 4,800 ft around town.
La Mesilla at a glance
- Population
- 2.5k
- Elevation
- 5,620 ft
- Average daily high
- 68°F58th percentile
- Average daily low
- 34°F4th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 11″4th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 11″47th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 3,296 hrs87th percentile
- Median AQI
- 4462th percentile
- Median home value
- $267k51th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,015/mo35th percentile
- Median household income
- $74k49th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.51%10th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 5.9%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 7.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 2.5%
- Homes with broadband
- 81%10th percentile
- Walkability index
- 7.431th percentile
- Average commute
- 32 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 10%2th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 50%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 8134th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9897th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 28%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 66%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 4,757 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 16°F | 0.5″ | 2.2″ | 228 hrs |
| Feb | 51°F | 20°F | 0.4″ | 1.5″ | 217 hrs |
| Mar | 60°F | 25°F | 0.7″ | 1.4″ | 267 hrs |
| Apr | 68°F | 32°F | 0.7″ | 0.3″ | 284 hrs |
| May | 76°F | 40°F | 0.8″ | — | 330 hrs |
| Jun | 86°F | 48°F | 0.8″ | — | 354 hrs |
| Jul | 88°F | 56°F | 1.6″ | — | 314 hrs |
| Aug | 86°F | 54°F | 1.8″ | — | 301 hrs |
| Sep | 80°F | 45°F | 1.3″ | — | 284 hrs |
| Oct | 69°F | 32°F | 1.1″ | 0.6″ | 274 hrs |
| Nov | 56°F | 22°F | 0.7″ | 1.4″ | 233 hrs |
| Dec | 45°F | 15°F | 0.7″ | 3.3″ | 211 hrs |
Near La Mesilla
- Española, NM · 10k
- Chimayo, NM · 2.7k
- White Rock, NM · 5.6k
- Los Alamos, NM · 13k
- Agua Fria, NM · 2.8k
- Santa Fe, NM · 88k
- La Cienega, NM · 3.8k
- Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM · 5.7k
Largest places in New Mexico
- Albuquerque, NM · 562k
- Las Cruces, NM · 113k
- Rio Rancho, NM · 107k
- Roswell, NM · 48k
- Farmington, NM · 46k
- Hobbs, NM · 40k
- Clovis, NM · 38k
- South Valley, NM · 37k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology