2026 · Des Moines, New Mexico · Wikimedia Commons
Des Moines’s story
Des Moines in pictures
1 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
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Des MoinesNM
A town of 174. Public schools that outperform most of New Mexico.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
174
residents
Median home value
$153K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
17.8
years
Land area
1 sq mi
What makes Des Moines stand out
The thing Des Moines does most differently from other towns.
Small town
174 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Des Moines’s report card
Now in Des Moines
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Residents weigh in
Live in Des Moines? Is an A+ for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Des Moines’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Des Moines. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Des Moines’s public schools outperform 99% of New Mexico districts
The public schools Des Moines’s kids attend outperform 99% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Elementary | PK–6 | 82 | A |
| Des Moines High | 7–12 | 50 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state testsAll 2 schools →
Natural hazards
High risk, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtWildfireInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Des Moines has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–45°
Spring33–62°
Summer53–82°
Fall36–64°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 17
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
How healthy Des Moines is
Des Moines beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Des Moines | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.7% | 73.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 6.6% |
Miners' Colfax Medical Center
34.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
About Des Moines
Village in New Mexico, United States
Des Moines ("Dez Moynz") is a village in Union County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 117 in the 2020 census. The population has been declining since its peak in about 1920. Des Moines is a small village surrounded by large cattle ranches. Inactive volcanoes dot the region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 117
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,647 ft
- ZIP code
- 88418
More about Des Moines
Still missing for Des Moines:upcoming events