Taos () is a town in Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico. Situated between the Rio Grande Gorge and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it is located roughly 50 miles (80 km) south of the Colorado border. Taos serves as the county seat of Taos County, of which it is the largest municipality, with an estimated population of 6,567 as of 2021. The town of Taos was incorporated in 1934, although humans have lived in the adjacent Taos Pueblo—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the town's namesake—for roughly a millennium; the town's name derives from the native Taos language meaning "(place of) red willows". Initially founded by Spanish colonists in 1615 as Don Fernando de Taos, it w…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Taos ranks

All →

#1Most-used libraries in NM #1Best libraries for kids in NM #9Most walkable in NM All NM rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code87571

Area code575

Living in Taos

Housing in Taos

$437K▼ 0.9% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Taos home is worth about $437,000, down 0.9% in a year, 37% above the New Mexico typical home.

A buyer's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market144

Sold in May8

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Taos

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Taos reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Taos 6.7

New Mexico 6.5

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Taos 34.9

New Mexico 23.5

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Taos

Full picture →

50% of Taos’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (10%), Taos Ski Valley (5%) and Santa Fe (4%). Half commute less than 2 miles.

Albuquerque

10%

Taos Ski Valley

Santa Fe

Taos Pueblo

50%Work in townlive and work in Taos 2 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 5,349Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Taos →

Health in Taos

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 49% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 90% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with New Mexico

5better than NM·6worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 21 are too close to call.

Conditions 6▼ 6 close Habits all close Care 2▲ 5 close Mind all close Everyday needs 3▲ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

13.1%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityNM 16.5% · better 9.3%Fewer adults without reliable transportationNM 11% · better 9.6%More adults who have had cancerNM 7.4% · worse

Care nearby

Holy Cross Hospital A Div of Taos Health SystemsTaos · 3.1 mi · ER · rural critical access

Taos ClinicTaos · 1.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Taos · CMS · HRSAHealth in Taos →

Natural hazards in Taos

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 39% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding⚡ Lightning🔥 Wildfire

0Does Taos flood?no paid flood claims on record 1Disasters that paid out herefederal disaster sent FEMA money to Taos MapTaos vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Taos →

Climate in Taos

Full climate →

Taos has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

44° / 13°Winter

63° / 29°Spring

83° / 48°Summer

65° / 31°Fall

How much snow does Taos get?About 28 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 3, with the last in spring around May 19.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.5° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Taos →

Schools in Taos

All Taos schools →

C⁻

School Grade C-

The public schools Taos’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 84% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Taos’s schools compare in NM →

DistrictTAOSSchools10

Enos Garcia Elementary D-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 348 students Taos Municipal Charter D-Elementary · Grades K–8 · 216 students Taos Integrated School of Arts B+Elementary · Grades K–8 · 215 students Taos International SchoolElementary · Grades K–8 · 179 students Taos Middle D-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 337 students Taos High B+High · Grades 9–12 · 749 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NM. Ratings are from neighbors.