Thoreau is a community in McKinley County, New Mexico, home to about 1,973 people across 39 square miles. Its ZIP code is 87323, and parts of 87312 are in Thoreau too.
Homes sold for a median of $32 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Thoreau; also Las Tusas and Bluewater
Mostly Continental Divide; part is in Thoreau
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Thoreau. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Thoreau’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)91 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP)36 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Albuquerque, NM88 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ257 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Thoreau; 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.
Thoreau had 2,367 residents in the 2020 census, up 27% since 2000.
It’s the 98th largest of 494 towns in New Mexico by population.
McKinley County grew from 12,963 residents in 1910 to 72,902 in 2020.
McKinley County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 12.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Thoreau 12 Se, NM weather station (7 miles away).
15,236 jobs at 940 businesses in McKinley 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 Thoreau.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 5 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Optometrists | 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.
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 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 Gallup. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thoreau ElementaryThoreau | Pre-K–5 | 359 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Thoreau MiddleThoreau | 6–8 | 362 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Thoreau HighThoreau | 9–12 | 389 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bonaventure SchoolThoreau | Pre-K–8 | 97 | Roman Catholic | 3.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Las Tusas, Bluewater, Continental Divide and Borrego Pass.
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.