Jobs, pay and daily life in Shiprock, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Shiprock is a city in New Mexico with 7,610 residents. The median household earns $35,900 a year and the median rent is $694 a month, which is 23.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Farmington, NM metropolitan area, where BLS counts 47,670 jobs.
How Shiprock compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Shiprock is #31 by population, #40 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #39 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #38 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, San Juan County, is #7 of 33 counties for average pay ($56,008).
Shiprock has 7,610 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 563 people per square mile. The median age is 34.1, 13% younger than the state median (34.1 against 39.4). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $694 a month (rent plus utilities), 35% below the state median ($694 against $1,067). Over a year that is 23.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $104,400, which is 2.9 times the median household income ($35,900); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 49.1% of households own their home, 30% below the state average (49.1% against 70.0%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Farmington, NM metropolitan area has 47,670 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,820 a year, 10% below the national median ($45,820 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are construction and extraction (5,870 jobs, median $50,650); office and administrative support (5,510 jobs, median $43,390); food preparation and serving related (4,500 jobs, median $29,010). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (3.0 times) and office and administrative support (1.0 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are construction and extraction ($50,650) and office and administrative support ($43,390). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of San Juan County was 5.1%. 53.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in San Juan County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.5% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 7.7% walk, 3.2% work from home. 32.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 152% above the state average (32.3% against 12.8%).
11.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 63% below the state share (11.6% against 31.0%). 0.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 91% below the state share (0.9% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 34.6%, 94% above the state rate (34.6% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-0.9°C). About 324 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (39 mm) and Jun the driest (10 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Farmington (29 miles, rent 49% higher); Cortez (39 miles, rent 42% higher); Bloomfield (40 miles, rent 42% higher); Aztec (40 miles, rent 9% lower). Rent differences are against Shiprock; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideSan Juan CountyNew Mexico rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 864 federal postings open in New Mexico (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New Mexico →
These figures are for the whole Farmington, NM metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,820 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 41.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 19.4% |
| Retail trade | 7.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.7% |
| Construction | 5.5% |
| Public administration | 5.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.3% |
| Manufacturing | 2.9% |
| Other services | 2.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 1.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Shiprock lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County | 120,942 | $7,043 million | $58,231 | 46,650 | 3,087 | $56,008 | +1.8% | 5.1% | 50,275 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6,940 | 19.7% | $57,244 | 1.04 |
| Retail trade | 5,911 | 16.8% | $36,845 | 1.27 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,610 | 13.1% | $22,607 | 1.09 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 4,081 | 11.6% | $93,463 | 23.13 |
| Construction | 3,791 | 10.7% | $72,229 | 1.55 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,540 | 4.4% | $69,960 | 0.84 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,396 | 4.0% | $48,861 | 0.51 |
| Manufacturing | 1,279 | 3.6% | $56,970 | 0.33 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,155 | 3.3% | $46,354 | 0.82 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 952 | 2.7% | $61,244 | 0.48 |
| Professional and technical services | 930 | 2.6% | $62,767 | 0.29 |
| Finance and insurance | 706 | 2.0% | $69,604 | 0.37 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 474 | 1.3% | $23,563 | 0.60 |
| Utilities | 395 | 1.1% | $134,142 | 2.23 |
| Real estate and rental | 392 | 1.1% | $47,614 | 0.54 |
| Educational services | 215 | 0.6% | $51,129 | 0.22 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 209 | 0.6% | $43,419 | 0.55 |
| Information | 159 | 0.5% | $49,179 | 0.18 |
| Management of companies | 148 | 0.4% | $59,941 | 0.19 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.5% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 7.7% |
| Work from home | 3.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 32.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $35,900 |
| Income per person | $19,517 |
| Median gross rent per month | $694 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.2% |
| Median home value | $104,400 |
| Homeowners | 49.1% |
| Poverty rate | 34.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 87.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,820 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 84.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 11.6% |
| Born abroad | 0.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 53.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.9 | 30 | 30 |
| Feb | 1.2 | 34 | 29 |
| Mar | 6.0 | 43 | 21 |
| Apr | 10.2 | 50 | 21 |
| May | 15.9 | 61 | 22 |
| Jun | 22.7 | 73 | 10 |
| Jul | 25.4 | 78 | 35 |
| Aug | 23.6 | 74 | 36 |
| Sep | 19.1 | 66 | 39 |
| Oct | 11.4 | 53 | 27 |
| Nov | 4.6 | 40 | 23 |
| Dec | -0.9 | 30 | 31 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington | NM | 29 mi | 46,314 | $68,784 | $1,037 |
| Cortez | CO | 39 mi | 8,976 | $54,247 | $984 |
| Bloomfield | NM | 40 mi | 7,395 | $48,472 | $984 |
| Aztec | NM | 40 mi | 6,150 | $41,977 | $629 |
| Durango | CO | 56 mi | 19,411 | $78,602 | $1,636 |
| Gallup | NM | 88 mi | 21,023 | $58,303 | $927 |
| Grants | NM | 123 mi | 8,951 | $47,183 | $783 |
| Montrose | CO | 125 mi | 21,044 | $70,386 | $1,197 |
| Delta | CO | 140 mi | 9,421 | $45,250 | $990 |
| Los Alamos | NM | 148 mi | 13,317 | $141,018 | $1,359 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
7,610 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$694 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.2% of the median household income.
$35,900 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.1% (BLS county, San Juan County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.