Sunlit Hills, New Mexico Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 899, Sunlit Hills's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Sunlit Hills is a small community located in New Mexico, within Santa Fe County. The total population is 899. It ranks as the 172nd most populous out of 495 Census-designated places in New Mexico.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sunlit Hills is 55.7 years. This is 41% higher than the state median of 39.4 years. 13.7% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sunlit Hills is $126,250. This is 97% higher than the state median of $64,059. It is also 56% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.3%. This is 31% lower than the state poverty rate of 17.8%. The unemployment rate is 1.9%. This is 67% lower than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $1,001,300. Housing costs are 304% higher than the state median of $248,100. The home-value-to-income ratio of 7.9x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 78.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 70.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sunlit Hills is White (non-Hispanic), making up 55.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 36.7%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (55.1% vs 36.0%).

Education

68.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Sunlit Hills in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 120% higher than the state rate of 31.0%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 98.7%. Notably, 33.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sunlit Hills, New Mexico is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New Mexico state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 495 Census-designated places in New Mexico. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.