Around 24 miles north of Santa Fe, on the eastern outskirts of Española, the 200-person village of Santa Cruz has hardly changed from its historic Native American and Spanish origins. Founded in the 1600s as Ville Nueva de Santa Cruz de la Cañada, the rural community slowly grew around a central dirt plaza on the Santa Cruz River, where Spanish settlers built the famous Iglesia Santa Cruz de la Cañada in the mid 1700s. Now, Iglesia Santa Cruz continues to service the community, and community members tend to their small-scale farms and centuries-old acequias, or irrigation ditches. “The Spanish originally settled here because the earth was tillable, and it’s still like that in many ways,” says David Horpedahl, a Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, who has experience selling and buying in the area. Area-affordability and proximity to Los Alamos National Laboratory — the state’s top employer — have begun to draw Santa Fe artists and laboratory workers to the area. “A lot of artists move here because living in Santa Fe is too expensive,” Horpedahl says. “There are also not a lot of long-term living options in Los Alamos, so you can live close to work in villages like Santa Cruz while also having the affordability and rural lifestyle.”
Santa Cruz residents enjoy beauftul, sunny weather almost year round.
Santa Cruz farms can be in the valley next to the Santa Cruz river.
1/2
Area-affordable Santa Fe-style homesteads
Many of the homes in Santa Cruz were built in the Santa Fe style in the early 1900s. “They were built on these long, narrow lots along diversions from the Santa Cruz River so people could farm and create homesteads,” Horpedahl says. “Now you see lots of lush properties with gardens, and some are large enough for horses.” Strewn along dirt roads, these Santa Fe-style homes commonly feature flat roofs, adobe exteriors and colorful wood accents. Because many properties are passed down between generations, homes rarely come to market in Santa Cruz; between 2023 and 2024, no homes were sold in the village. According to Homes.com calculations, which use a combination of estimate data, the average home value in Santa Cruz was around $440,661 in late 2024, around half the average of the Santa Fe Metro Area at $824,952.
Most homes in Santa Cruz are found on large lots, behind walls and with big yards.
Santa Fe style homes in Santa Cruz feature flat roofs and stucco covered exteriors.
1/2
Santa Cruz Lake, Jemez Mountain trails and open desert spaces
Located between the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains and surrounded by open spaces, Santa Cruz offers ample recreation options for outdoor enthusiasts. Folks can fish for cutthroat trout in the Santa Cruz River or follow the stream 12 miles east to the 121-acre Santa Cruz Lake; there, visitors can cast their lines from non-motorized boats or camp on sheer cliffs overlooking the high desert scenery. Less than a mile south, La Puebla Recreation Area offers miles of soft, sandy trails and striking sandstone rock formations. Around 3 miles west, the Clara Peak Trail is a popular off-roading track that runs 17 miles from Española to the pine-studded peaks of the Jemez Mountains.
Santa Cruz is less than 30 minutes away from the beautiful Santa Cruz Lake.
La Puebla Recreation Area offers ample hiking trails and desert scenery near Santa Cruz..
1/2
Nearby eateries and groceries in Española and Chimayo
Although many residents prefer to shop and dine in Santa Fe, they also have the small towns of Española and Chimayo close by. “They’ve got a huge Walmart and Lowes in Española that’ll have you covered on most things, but there’s a bunch of other stuff you can find there, too,” Horpedahl says. The smaller Center Market sells produce from local farmers, and Chimayo Rocks near Española City Hall is filled with gemstones and jewelry. The family-owned El Cocina has been a mainstay here for over 50 years and is popular for its homey New Mexican Food. Around 8 miles east in Chimayo, Rancho de Chimayo is also famous for its takes on New Mexican cuisine; Rancho de Chimayo is also the originator of the Chimayo Cocktail, made with the apples the little village is known for.
Santa Cruz locals have enjoyed the great dinning at La Cocina for over 20 years.
Rancho de Chimayó serves delicious dinner to guest in the Santa Cruz area.
1/2
Española Public Schools
Local kids are served by Española Public Schools, which scores an overall grade of C on Niche and offers trilingual services in English, Spanish and Tewa. Students can start at C-rated Eutimio Salazar Elementary and continue to C-minus-rated Carlos F. Vigil Middle. At C-plus-rated Española Valley High, they can join the Sundevil’s strong sports programs, whose most recent major win was the Division 2-4A Football Championship in 2023.
Children can attend Carol F. Vigil Middle School which scores a C-minus from Niche.
The Espanola Valley High Sundevils won the Division 2-4A football championship in 2023..
1/2
Convenient commutes to Los Alamos and Santa Fe
Santa Cruz is just a mile north of Highway 84, which runs 24 miles south directly to Downtown Santa Fe. Around 8 miles south, the 84 also merges onto New Mexico State Road 502 in Pojoaque; from there, the Los Alamos National Laboratory is 17 miles west. With no access to public transit or a walkable downtown area, locals must rely on cars to get around. The Española Hospital is around 3 miles west, but for a more robust offering of medical services specialized for the elderly, CHRISTUS Saint Vincent Regional Medical Center is around 27 miles south in Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Regional Airport is 33 miles south and has direct flights to Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and Denver; for a broader range of direct flights, Albuquerque International Sunport is 89 miles south.
Ongoing uranium contamination issues
Santa Cruz’s water has contained high levels of uranium since the 1950s. Between 2020 and 2022, the Santa Cruz Water Association (SCWA)—a state-funded group responsible for delivering drinking water to the community—found levels above the legal limit. In 2016, the state granted SCWA $1.6 million to construct a new water tank with uranium treatment systems; however, due to the limited capabilities of the small, volunteer-led group, uranium levels have remained high. The New Mexico Environmental Department and the Rural Community Assistance Corportation are currently assisting the SCWA devise a plan to lower uranium levels and maintain the uranium treatment systems.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Fixer-upper opportunity! Unleash your creativity with this charming property out in Santa Cruz NM. Property sits on about .60 acres and is ready for its next owner. Do not let this great blank canvas go by!
This property may also be marketed via an auction event at (void where prohibited). The Seller will review offers submitted through the auction site as well as through the listing agent.” Seller makes no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the condition of the property or the presence of defects therein, latent or otherwise.
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Joaquin Sanchez,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
253
Median Age
41
Population under 18
21.7%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
21.3%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$43,749
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$57,786
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
81.7%
College Graduates
20%
Below the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
8.9%
% Population in Labor Force
56.6%
Below the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
17''
Average Winter Low Temperature
21°F
Average Summer High Temperature
82°F
Annual Snowfall
21''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
1/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
4/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
