$373,093Average Value$419Average Price per Sq Ft4Homes For Sale
An eclectic village of artists in a former Santa Fe mining region
Around 28 miles south of Santa Fe, in a narrow desert valley, Madrid is a mining-town-turned-artist village on the Turquoise Trail highway, famous for its colorful businesses and residents. “We pronounce it MAD-rid here, because we’re all a little mad,” jokes Jodie Dominguez, a local who moved to Madrid after traveling across the country in a van. “When my husband and I found ourselves in Madrid, we were greeted by a guy in a top hat and a woman with purple dreads. They were so kind and interesting and unjudgmental, and we knew we had finally escaped from the suburbs.” Madrid originally took off in the 1890s, when it became one of New Mexico’s first coal mining regions. Under the guidance of mine superintendent Oscar Huber, the town's fortunes reached their peak in the 1920s; the rise of natural gas would eventually force the mines to close, though, and Madrid was a ghost town by the 1950s. In the 1970s, Huber’s son, Joe Huber, began renting out Madrid’s cabins to artists and outcasts; ever since, the town has attracted creative types who want to live life on their own terms with like-minded people. “We all live erroneously,” explains Tera Waldroup, a local who moved to Madrid to start a lavender farm. “We’re all bunch of hippies and bikers and artists, and it feels like there’s this complete understanding and lack of judgement between us.” This friendly attitude is reflected in Madrid's CAP Crime Index score of 1 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Take a peep at all of the artwork artists have infront of their studios in Madrid.
Madrid's mainstreet is filled with small shops and creative art galleries.
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Unique bars, shops and galleries along the Turquoise Highway
Madrid is best known for its handful of unique eateries, shops and galleries, all set in colorfully converted miner’s cabins and strung along the Turquoise Trail. The Mine Shaft Tavern and Cantina has been the community watering hole since it opened in 1899, and while it’s often used as a film set in Westerns, it’s better known for its burgers and drinks. “I’ve been here some five years now, and I’m still not tired of the green chile Mad Burger,” explains Dominguez. “The Mad Drink, too — it's got tajin and cucumbers, so it’s almost like spicy spa water.” The Refinery 14 across the street serves healthy breakfast food, and Java Junction down the road is the go-to for coffee and pastries. “They use coffee ice cubes, so your drink never gets watered down. Now I’m wondering why no one else does this,” Waldroup says. At Moonbow, a tall, handcarved dragon sculpture greets shoppers as they browse for fresh herbs, soaps, teas and more, and Shugarman’s Little Shop offers a wide array of chocolates. Galleries here feature works by local artists, and range from the modern Indigo Gallery to the Southwest-themed Belle of the West. Despite all these businesses, Madrid lacks a grocery store; the closest is a Walmart Supercenter, 20 miles north in Santa Fe.
Shugarman's Little Shop will help anyones sweet tooth in Madrid.
The popular biker stop in Madrid is the Mine Shaft Tavern.
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The Madrid Christmas Parade
Volunteer-run community groups like Madrid Cultural Projects host events throughout the year, but for locals like Dominguez, the Madrid Christmas Parade is the most special. “We’ve really brought it back in recent years, because when Madrid was a coal mining town, the lights here really shined brightly because of all the electricity people had,” Dominguez explains. “It’s been different for a while, since some people live completely off-grid and prefer it that way. But it makes me teary-eyed that we’ve all gotten back into lighting the town up with decorations, because it’s just us neighbors here doing it: setting up the lights, creating the floats and decorating everything. It feels like we have something special and we’re getting back to that special feeling.”
Colorful miner’s cabins and hillside lots in Madrid
Strewn along the Turquoise Trail and its backroads, Madrid’s homes are largely miner’s cabins from the 1870s to 1930s, all painted with bright, vibrant colors. Most sit in the flatter, more central portion of the town, surrounded by cobblestone retaining walls and dry arroyos that are black from coal mining. These homes sit on quarter-acre lots with outhouses, gardens and artist studios, and commonly feature wraparound porches, pitched metal roofs, and board and batten exterior walls. Prices typically range from $350,000 for one-bed, one-bath homes to $550,000 for two-bed, two-bath homes; however, multi-family miner’s boarding houses converted into single-family homes can fetch between $1.1 million and $1.2 million. In the desert hills that encircle the town, undeveloped parcels range from 1/2-acre to 1 acre, and from $30,000 to $48,000; flatter land costs more. Those seeking to build homes in the hills must source their own water, while those in Madrid use the community’s shared well. “It can be really expensive,” explains Waldroup. “For the well on our lavender farm, we got quotes upwards of $50,000. Some people end up preferring to have their water shipped in, but it surprisingly rains here enough that you can use a catchment system, instead.”
The colorful homes around Madrid show the liveliness and creative side residents have.
Colorful cabins fill the residential areas around Madrid.
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Cerrillos Hills State Park and the Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark
Madrid is surrounded by vast desert spaces and panoramic views of the Jemez, Ortiz, Sandia and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Around 3 miles north in the small town of Cerrillos, the Cerrillos Hills State Park spans over 1,100 acres of rolling savannas and juniper-pinyon woodlands; the 5 miles of trails here are open to hikers, cyclists and horseback riders, and they lead to centuries-old silver and turquoise mines. Six miles north on the Turquoise Trail, Origami in the Park turns a wooded section of hills into a garden of tall origami statues of animals and mythical creatures. Within the community, the 1920 Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark was once home to the Madrid Miners, a double-A baseball team; now, the local rec team plays here on Memorial Day and during seasonal championships. “We’re also doing a special event where the players are going to dress like the original Madrid Miners in September for the first time. The stadium hasn’t been touched up since it was built, but for us here, that’s part of its beauty,” says Waldroup.
Cerrillos Hills State Park is a great stop with hikes to old mines.
There is a perfect place for kids to play at Oscar Huber Memorial Ball Park.
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Turquoise Trail and North Central Regional Transit District buses
The famous Turquoise Trail highway runs through Madrid’s center, offering uninterrupted desert and mountain views to commuters heading to Santa Fe 28 miles north and Albuquerque 46 miles south. “My dad likes to joke that you get to see so much nature when driving on Interstate 25, but all you really see are billboards. The Turquoise Trail is the complete opposite of that; it’s just beautiful out here,” Dominguez says. Although locals need a vehicle to reach the city, most can walk around the neighborhood to the local shops; they can also take North Central Regional Transit District buses from the Mine Shaft Tavern to the City Different. The CHRISTUS Saint Vincent Regional Medical Center is 25 miles north, and the Santa Fe Regional Airport is 23 miles north.
Public schools in Santa Fe
Local kids can attend Santa Fe Public Schools, including the Amy Biehl Community School at Rancho Viejo, which serves Kindergarten through Grade 6 and earns a B-minus from Niche, and Milagro Middle, which scores a C-minus. At the A-minus-rated Santa Fe High, students can join over 15 clubs, including a Business Tech Academy.
Amy Biehl Community School at Rancho Viejo has a B- grade from Niche.
Santa Fe students can enroll in the newly built Milagro Middle School.
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Coal lives on in Madrid
Madrid’s history of coal mining continues to impact the town today. Its arroyos are darkened with coal residue and other debris, making them susceptible to flooding. “We’re working with the county to get them clean, but we still want to keep the black coal because it’s part of the community’s identity,” Waldroup says. The reservoirs beneath Madrid have also been affected by coal mining; while they are safe to drink from, their water has a faint sulfuric smell. “The people in town have a shared well while I have my own in the hills, but either way, the water smells like sulfur,” Waldroup explains. “Thing is, if you get a filtration system, it’s super easy to get rid of."
Tucked away in the mountains sits the hidden gem of a town Madrid.
The Madrid Museum has information all about Madrid's past and how it came to be.
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.
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Interested in learning more about homes in this neighborhood?
Reach out to
Victor Ortega,
an experienced agent in this area.
Parks in this Area
Cerrillos Hills State Park
Bike Trails
Picnic Area
Trails
Oscar Huber Memorial Ball Park
Transit
Airport
Santa Fe Regional
39 min drive
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Madrid
US
Homicide
2
4
Sexual Assault
1
4
Assault with Weapon
1
4
Robbery
1
4
Burglary
1
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
1
4
Larceny
1
4
Crime Score
1
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Madrid, Cerrillos sell after 109 days on the market compared to the national average of 47 days. The average sale price for homes in Madrid, Cerrillos over the last 12 months is $296,166, down 4% from the average home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Nestled in the heart of historic Madrid village and close to the County greenbelt, this unique .64-acre property offers a blend of charm and functionality. It features a 972-square-foot artistic main home, a 443-square-foot studio complete with a shower and sink, and a bright, spacious 750-square-foot workshop. The workshop is equipped with a wood stove for heating and a mini-split system that
Boundless potential, expansive 1.468-acre ridge-top parcel, Residential-Commercial, minimal covenants, property invites a multitude of possibilities. Build your dream home, establish a thriving business, or combine both. From traditional construction to manufactured homes on foundations, workshop or live-work Embrace the seclusion and panoramic, breathtaking views of the Ortiz Mountains, lot
Opportunity in Madrid! TWO HOMES, two addresses---2 Grasshopper AND 29 Backroad. Two one of a kind, slightly funky structures, of stone, wood, and metal siding, have striking views of hillsides, mountains and town. The much-loved home and semi- industrial, mostly metal building --the "warehouse/apartment" will make great projects--live in one while you fix up or rent the other. Excellent for a
Interested in learning more about homes in this neighborhood?
Reach out to
Victor Ortega,
an experienced agent in this area.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
203
Median Age
61
Population under 18
10.3%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
41.9%
Above the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$31,666
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$39,031
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
98.9%
College Graduates
51.7%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
17.6%
% Population in Labor Force
44.5%
Below the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
10''
Average Winter Low Temperature
19°F
Average Summer High Temperature
88°F
Annual Snowfall
20''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
14/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
19/ 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.
