Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, home to about 776 people across 2.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 87520.
Homes sold for a median of $266 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Chama. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Chama’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)128 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field (ALS)54 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Albuquerque, NM124 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ386 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Chama; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Chama had 917 residents in the 2020 census, down 24% since 2000.
It’s the 186th largest of 494 towns in New Mexico by population.
Rio Arriba County grew from 13,777 residents in 1900 to 40,363 in 2020.
Rio Arriba County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 22.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 92 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chama, NM weather station (2 miles away).
5,426 jobs at 541 businesses in Rio Arriba County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
9 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Chama.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 4 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Chama Valley. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chama ElementaryChama | Pre-K–5 | 52 | Public | 0.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.