Census-designated place · New Mexico
El Rito, New Mexico
El Rito, census-designated place, in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. El Rito had 749 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,102 (±587). GEOID 3524120.
Residents, 2020 Census
749
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,102 ±587
Median household income
not published
New Mexico: $64,059
Median home value
$332,300
±$50,792 (90% margin)
New Mexico: $248,100
Median gross rent
not published
New Mexico: $1,067
Where is El Rito and what county is it in?
El Rito is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It covers 4.1 square miles of land, 182 residents per square mile in 2020.
El Rito is in the Española, NM micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in El Rito, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 749 residents in El Rito, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,102 (±587).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; El Rito is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | El Rito | Rio Arriba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,102 ±587 | 40,070 | – |
| Households | 451 ±210 | 15,647 | +267 |
| Average household size | 2.44 ±0.76 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 479 ±208 | 19,862 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in El Rito?
The median resident of El Rito is 39.5 years old; 32.4% are under 18 and 33.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 95.5%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 4.4%.
| Measure | El Rito | Rio Arriba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 ±20.0 | 42.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 32.4% ±15.2 pts | 22.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 33.0% ±19.8 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Male | 36.1% ±8.7 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 95.5% ±5.4 pts | 67.2% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±5.3 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 19.2% ±14.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 80.3% ±22.1 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.6% ±6.2 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 18.0% ±16.0 pts | 15.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.3% ±10.2 pts | 8.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 58.7% ±29.7 pts | 87.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.4% ±12.8 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.4% ±12.8 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.3% ±9.8 pts | 95.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in El Rito earn?
The Census Bureau does not publish a median household income for El Rito: too few households were sampled.
| Measure | El Rito | Rio Arriba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean household income | $47,143 ±$17,285 | $76,460 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,564 ±$9,448 | $31,887 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 54.4% ±28.4 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 75.9% ±37.4 pts | 27.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.3% ±5.8 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.1% ±14.0 pts | 82.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 76.7% ±21.1 pts | 75.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in El Rito?
Owners occupy 100.0% of El Rito's occupied homes and renters 0.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $332,300 by its owner (±$50,792).
| Measure | El Rito | Rio Arriba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $332,300 ±$50,792 | $243,700 | +$155,326 |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,509 ±$525 | $1,416 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 100.0% ±9.0 pts | 80.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Housing units | 479 ±208 | 19,862 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.4% ±22.2 pts | 59.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.6% ±22.2 pts | 35.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.4% ±13.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in El Rito work and get to work?
45.2% of El Rito's workers drive alone.
| Measure | El Rito | Rio Arriba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.2% ±24.4 pts | 53.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 45.2% ±17.4 pts | 77.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 33.5% ±26.7 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.3% ±25.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.7 min ±17.9 | 30.1 min | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in El Rito?
No census tract lies mostly in El Rito; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4.02Rio Arriba County | 2,743 | $50,854 |
| Tract 4.01Rio Arriba County | 1,743 | $44,868 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in El Rito) · Census block assignment files
How does El Rito compare with other places in New Mexico?
El Rito is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
El Rito's figures with every place in New Mexico (CSV)
Every place in New Mexico, sortable · Compare El Rito with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for El Rito?
28 of the 53 figures for El Rito on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for El Rito are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.