Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, NM Area Guide
A laidback New Mexico town along the historic Route 66
Santa Rosa sits at the intersection of Interstate 40 – formerly Route 66 – and U.S. Highway 54 in eastern New Mexico. This compact desert community is famous for its limestone “lakes” and as the setting for the infamous train scene in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath.” Low-lying apartment complexes make up the bulk of the rental market here, and the immediate downtown area is imminently walkable.
Santa Rosa famous lakes are actually sinkholes in the limestone bedrock, the most famous of which is Blue Hole, a crystal clear spot that’s popular for diving. There are prominent Mexican restaurants and the requisite chains, but many residents commute to surrounding communities for work and entertainment.
Getting Around
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Santa Rosa, NM is for everyday living.
Not Walkable
Walkability
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
Somewhat Bikeable
Bikeability
Schools
Public
Grades PK-5
201 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
110 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
197 Students
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Points of Interest
Parks and Recreation
- Santa Rosa Lake State Park
Methodology
† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.