Here Are The 9 Best Places To Live In New Mexico… And Why

Often the decision about where to live is determined by a job or the desire to be near family members. But sometimes the choice is all yours to make. While that’s freeing, it’s also a little overwhelming because there are so many factors to consider and a lengthy list of possible places to call home in New Mexico.

We’ve used a variety of sources, but especially Area Vibes, to assess the pros and cons of different locations. This list is not in order; it’s mostly broken down by your top priority, instead. Obviously, livability is highly subjective, but we hope these towns and cities will help you on your hunt. Whether you’re intending to move to New Mexico or relocate within the state, here are some great options.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

1. Safety: Corrales (population 8329) Flickr/Mike Tungate According to Movoto, the Village of Corrales is the safest place to live in New Mexico. Area Vibes also awards Corrales an “A” for crime and gives it an overall livability score of 79/100. Bonus: the school system scores highly as well. 2. Most affordable: Rio Rancho (population 87,521) Flickr/Jordan Meeter According to Nerd Wallet, Rio Rancho is the eighth most affordable place to live in the whole of the country. Although there are places in New Mexico where the cost of living is lower, that doesn’t help much if the median income is also below average. When you combine the median income with the cost of living, Rio Rancho does well. Bonus: Area Vibes also awards it good grades for education and amenities. 3. If you want to live in a small town: Mesilla Mesilla receives great scores for weather, education, and crime. Unlike many small towns there are decent employment opportunities. Area Vibes gives Mesilla 81/100 overall. Bonus: Mesilla is historic and picturesque. 4. If you want to live in a small city: Ruidoso (population 8,029) Flickr/Beatnik Photos Ruidoso is appealing for its low cost of living, good amenities, and high graduation rate. Bonus: The scenery is gorgeous too. 5. Best place to retire: Las Cruces (population 97,618) Flickr/David Herrera “AARP The Magazine” has raved about Las Cruces as a retirement spot. The city offers great weather, a low cost of living, and residents have high life expectancy rates. Area Vibes gives Las Cruces an “A+” for amenities and an overall score of 81/100 – one of the highest in New Mexico. 6. Best place to raise a family: Los Alamos (population 12,019) Flickr/Jeff Hay If you’re raising a family, safety and good schools are probably high on your priority list. When considering both those factors, Los Alamos comes out ahead. Its school district is well regarded and the city has high graduation rates. The ratio of teachers to students is 15:1 and test scores are significantly higher than the national average. The only potential downside? Your kids will have to move away in order to attend a four-year college. Bonus: Los Alamos County happens to be the healthiest county in New Mexico. 7. Natural Beauty: Cloudcroft (population 674) Flickr/thekarmapolice Cloudcroft is a gorgeous place, nestled in Lincoln National Forest. If incredible scenery is a priority, check out this town, which has an overall livability rating of 78/100 on Area Vibes. Bonus: This is a great area for hiking. 8. Great for foodies: Albuquerque (population 545,852) Flickr/Ken Lund Fabulous food is available throughout New Mexico and many mouthwatering restaurants are located in small towns. However, “Travel+Leisure” ranked Albuquerque sixth in the entire country for food, which puts the city in the big leagues. Foodies will love the range and number of quality restaurants here, many of which source food locally or are farm-to-table. Bonus: Area Vibes ranks Albuquerque highly in categories like cost of living and amenities. 9. Best for the Arts: Santa Fe (population 67,947) Flickr/Ali Eminov New Mexico is filled with artsy enclaves but the concentration of art in Santa Fe can’t be beat. In fact, the city has the third biggest art market in the country. Between the numerous museums and galleries, the annual art markets, Meow Wolf, and the public sculptures on almost every corner, art lovers will never grow bored here. Bonus: Since the Violet Crown opened in the Railyard, movie lovers can enjoy art house (and blockbuster) pics in style.

Have you called any of these places home? What other towns and cities are strong contenders in these categories?