65 years in pictures
23 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1961Rio Rancho is settled
- 1995El Camino Real - Byway Signage on the El Camino Real
- 2004NMMap-doton-RioRancho
- 2008Happy-camper-nm-usa
- 2009Roadside Memorial
A city of 108,515, settled in 1961. Public schools that outperform most of New Mexico.
The 3 things Rio Rancho does most differently from other towns.
87,521 people in 2010; 108,515 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
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Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Rio Rancho. Another town gets a different order.
The public schools Rio Rancho’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 91% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Stapleton Elementary | K–5 | 798 | Not graded |
| Vista Grande Elementary | K–5 | 786 | Not graded |
| Sandia Vista Elementary | PK–5 | 713 | Not graded |
| Enchanted Hills Elementary | K–5 | 673 | Not graded |
| Cielo Azul Elementary | K–5 | 640 | Not graded |
| Maggie Cordova Elementary School | K–5 | 608 | Not graded |
328 miles of trails across 47 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rio Rancho Bosque Nature Preserve | 6.8 mi | 196 |
| 2. Mountain View Park | 1.6 mi | 42 |
| 3. A Park Above | 0.5 mi | 6 |
The typical Rio Rancho home is worth about $361,000, up 0.6% in a year, 14% above the New Mexico typical home.
Most working residents leave Rio Rancho for work: only 19% work in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (52%), Santa Fe (6%) and Kirtland AFB (3%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
Rio Rancho beats the New Mexico average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| What stands out | Rio Rancho | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.6% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.2% | 20.9% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 17% of U.S. communities.
Rio Rancho reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 66% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 74%.
Rio Rancho has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
23 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
City in New Mexico, United States
Rio Rancho (Spanish: Río Rancho) is the largest and most populous city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. Part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, it is the third-largest city in New Mexico, and one of the most rapidly growing. Rio Rancho had a population of 104,046 at the 2020 census. The name Rio Rancho derives from Los Ranchos, the Spanish colonial ranches established along the Rio Grande in the Albuquerque Basin, and throughout historic Nuevo México. There were large ranches also in neighboring Corrales. Since the late 20th century, it has developed as a suburb of Albuquerque.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Rio Rancho.