Raton Downtown Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Raton’s story
Raton in pictures
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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RatonNM
A town of 6,026. Public schools that outperform most of New Mexico.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
6,026
−12.3% since 2010
Typical home
$151K
+4.9% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
44.8
years
Jobs based here
2,082
Balanced
What makes Raton stand out
The 3 things Raton does most differently from other towns.
A−School Grade
Schools
#22 for schools in NM
of 47 towns
School Grade A−.
100 U.S. towns● Raton
Health
65% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than NM on 1 measures, worse on 8.
Outdoors
#16 most walkable in NM
5.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
7.9% of the town is conserved land.
A shrinking town
Raton has shrunk 12.3% since 2010
6,885 people in 2010; 6,026 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Raton’s report card
SchoolsA−Beats 82% of NM districtsHealthC+Healthier than 35% of U.S. townsOutdoors5 miof trails · 7.9% conservedHousing$151K53% below the NM typical homeCommute2 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyCLess crime than 32% of U.S. townsClimate85°/15°Summer high · winter low · 25″ snowHazards64/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Raton
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Raton is #68 of 70 in NM for “Fastest growing”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Raton’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →64°
Clear
H 66° · L 44°
Local news
All →- City commissioners in Raton, N.M. reject moratorium on data centers despite petitionColorado Public Radio · Sep 28
- In Loving Memory of Walter Thomas Brown “Cowboy”KRTN Radio · Aug 20
- Suspect dies in shooting incident involving policeKOAT · Aug 3
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Raton. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Raton’s public schools outperform 82% of New Mexico districts
The public schools Raton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 82% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raton Intermediate | 3–6 | 246 | D− |
| Longfellow Elementary | PK–2 | 235 | Not graded |
| Raton High | 7–12 | 350 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Health
Healthier than 35% of U.S. towns
Raton beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. New Mexico
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Raton | NM |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78% | 73.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.7% | 14.2% |
Miners' Colfax Medical Center
1.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
49th
percentile among NM towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
7.9% of Raton is conserved land
5.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
7.9%conserved
7.9%
conserved · 377 of 4,796 acres
5.2 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
#29
most conserved land in NM
#16
most walkable in NM
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roundhouse Memorial Park | 1.5 mi | 49 |
| 2. Romero Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Ripley Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Raton home is worth about $151K
The typical Raton home is worth about $151,000, up 4.9% in a year, 53% below the New Mexico typical home.
$151KZillow home value
Typical home value
Raton$151K
New Mexico$318K
+4.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Raton
58% of Raton’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (6%), Santa Fe (3%) and Trinidad (3%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
58%work in town
Where working residents work
In Raton58%
Albuquerque6%
Santa Fe3%
Trinidad3%
Taos2%
2 mi
median commute distance
2,082
jobs based in Raton
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 32% of U.S. towns
Raton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 68% report less. Within New Mexico, it does better than 69% of towns.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Raton4.8
New Mexico6.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Raton11.8
New Mexico23.5
U.S.15.5
32nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
69th
percentile among NM towns
29
violent crimes reported in 2025
71
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Raton has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–48°
Spring31–64°
Summer51–83°
Fall34–66°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireLightning
1
paid flood claims since 2006
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Who lives here
Older than New Mexico overall
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (19% statewide). 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
44.8median age · NM 39.4
RatonNew MexicoUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma12%
High school42%
Some college15%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate9%
| Raton | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.1% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.5% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.1% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.7% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.6% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimatesBy the numbers →
Landmarks
11 places in Raton on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Raton
City in New Mexico, United States
Raton ( rə-TONE) is a city in and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico, United States. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles west of Oklahoma. At the 2020 census, its population was 6,041.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 6,041
- Area
- 8.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,680 ft
- ZIP code
- 87740
- Area code
- 575
More about Raton
Still missing for Raton:archive photosupcoming events