2023 Best Places to Live in New Mexico

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.61 out of 5  23 reviews

Current Resident: Los Alamos is a great town for outdoor enthusiasts. Miles and miles of trails, great camping sites all over, rock climbing, skiing, rafting...The longest commute to work is 15 minutes. The town is very safe, and the schools are good. Schools used to be 10/10, but in the past few years, they went down to 7/10. My oldest child is much older than my youngest, and helping at schools with both of them, I can see the difference :( The downside of Los Alamos, is that many local residents have a mentality of living here temporary, and do not invest much in local businesses, they shop "off the hill". For the town with a median household income twice the national average, Los Alamos invests very little in itself. Poor entertainment and shopping as a result. The housing also looks a little depressing. The majority of the houses were built in the early era of Los Alamos, and only a few are remodeled. These old houses create a certain look, which may take some time to get used to.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 13,270

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.7 out of 5  20 reviews

Niche User: What does an A+ public school ranking mean in a state that is last in the nation? Does this superior ranking have any validity and, if so, how can I find that information?... Read 20 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 5,716

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Former Resident: I have thoroughly enjoyed living in this part of Albuquerque, out of all the varying neighborhoods. It is a peaceful, quiet neighborhood, that is full of pleasant people. Aside from the lovely residents, the view is completely breathtaking! The sunsets are especially beautiful.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 3,110

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  8 reviews

Current Resident: I love it! Wonderful community with wonderful food, events, local music and more. Crime rates in the area are a little concerningly high, but that's pretty across all of Albuquerque, not just exclusive to Nob Hill. Cost of living in houses is much cheaper and more realistic than the many condos and luxury studios in the area.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A+

• grade B

• Population 3,855

• Suburb of Las Cruces, NM

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  Rating 3.91 out of 5  11 reviews

Current Resident: A historical town in the outskirts of Las Cruces, NM. its filled with history from billy the kid, to Pancho Villa. The Plaza area is filled with local shops, great mom and pop restaurants and scenery.... Read 11 reviews

• grade A

• grade B

• Population 1,760

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.33 out of 5  9 reviews

Niche User: There's a few noisy neighbors but overall it's good. If I move out I wouldn't come back unless I really had too. The crime around here is very small and it's mostly families and older people living here.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• grade B+

• Population 8,847

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.37 out of 5  213 reviews

Niche User: Albuquerque, New Mexico. The land lost in time. Questioned by many as a foreign country and forgotten state. I'm here to tell you the Duke City Lives On! Rich diversity and multicultural background, amazing food, and scenic sunsets and mountain trails. Somehow you begin to appreciate the simplicity of your small-medium sized city.... Read 213 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Population 124,331

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: I love the historic feel of the area. The Old Town Plaza is charming, as well as most of the surrounding neighborhood. The small businesses in and around Old Town make it what it is. Explora and the other museums are wonderful for families, as well as the Biopark. I particularly love being so close to the river. However, being so close to downtown, the foot traffic does not always leave one feeling safe. If I ever forget to lock my car, someone goes through it and things can come up missing, despite how safe my apartments typically seem.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• grade B

• Population 1,491

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: I love Corrales, NM. It's quiet and a great place to raise a family without the craziness of the city. I could use more cultural acknowledgment for the indigenous people who occupied this land before the colonization of it.... Read 18 reviews

• grade A

• grade B+

• Population 8,488

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.47 out of 5  116 reviews

Niche User: There definitely is a lot more space between the neighbors and with the properties. I would live here again, the air is clean and is smells like roasted chile in the fall which is great. The overall state may be poor, but I wouldn't change the view of the mountains in the east for anything, especially with hot air balloons drifting in the early morning in front of the mountains.... Read 116 reviews

• grade A

• grade B

• Population 57,079

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.94 out of 5  263 reviews

Current Resident: We've lived in a lot of places and Rio Rancho has been our favorite. We've had great experiences with the school (our kids go to MLK). We've noticed that the police have a presence here in the community which makes it feel much safer than ABQ. Our neighbors are very friendly and welcoming, as well as the community at school. Our kids have been involved in sports and music since we've moved here and they love everything about it. We have tons of parks in a two mile radius, including a dog park. That's another thing, everyone seems to have a dog! I love that. We've also taken advantage of the aquatic center and the library. Those are some great amenities. There seems to be a ton of community pools all over the city. There has been a lot of roadwork and beautification projects. I really believe that they have the resident's best interest at heart.... Read 263 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• Population 102,403

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.31 out of 5  236 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived here for about 2 years now and there is absolutely ZERO complaints in this neighborhood. I have always felt so comfortable with everyone I come into contact with. The amount of parks, facilities, and schools nearby make it that much more awesome. I always recommend family and friends to search for homes on the west side.... Read 236 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• Population 69,328

• Neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 3.53 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: I enjoy uptown but some work needs to be done on streets and sidewalks to ensure safety. There are great food options, lots of close grocery and other shopping with the malls nearby. There could be more homeless and health services offered of low cost in this area and more public transit.... Read 30 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• Population 19,464

• City in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.76 out of 5  564 reviews

Current Resident: The city has lots to do weekly, such as the farmers market, weekly fairs, events, and diversity program events. I like how everyone here likes to help others, at least in terms of creating a safe and inclusive environment. It's a good place to find active activities like sports, hiking, and biking. And this place is great for those that are blind or need further navigation accommodations, at least near the university.... Read 564 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• Population 109,934

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: Beautiful rural setting yet very convenient to the shopping restaurants and entertainment bike riding along ditches and dog walking! Historical sites... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• grade B minus

• Population 2,236

• Suburb in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.59 out of 5  27 reviews

Current Resident: Santa Teresa is a growing community with friendly people all over. Neighbors will lend a hand or a tool. No one is shy and all come from different backgrounds... Read 27 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• Population 6,037

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  8 reviews

Current Resident: The area is very scenic! It is right next to the river so there is a lot of vegitation and in the fall the leaves change color and create a beautiful array of colors that reflect off of the water. Rent is a little high in the area but it is very close to amenities so you never need to travel far.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B+

• grade C+

• Population 5,904

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: There is a lot of unemployment in this area, so there are some sketchy people around. But overall, there is high visibility of police and military which makes the area very safe.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 2,511

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 2.33 out of 5  9 reviews

Current Resident: El Dorado is a wonderful place to grow up since it is filled with family life and community. The school in El Dorado is one of the best elementary/middle schools in Santa Fe and is a large draw for families. The nature and space which all homeowners have in El Dorado is hard to come by in many towns, it allows for people living here to easily escape busy life and feel connected with nature. El Dorado also has some wonderful facilities, the pool and parks are wonderful for all ages and the shopping center and restaurants are wonderful and add more life to the community. El Dorado is also extremely safe and eveyone looks out for each other.... Read 9 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B+

• Population 5,419

• City in New Mexico

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  Rating 3.66 out of 5  968 reviews

Current Resident: Albuquerque tends to get unfortunate reviews due to the apparent drug use and a large homeless population scattered throughout the city. However, growing up here I have found it to be a vibrant landscape, and cultural foreground with divergent food, people and language. Albuquerque has the feeling of acceptance regardless of background or social standing, offering room for all different people and their unique experiences. When encountered with those different from you it opens a space where learning creativity and collaboration are encouraged resulting in beautiful works of art, music, food and dance, all things intertwined and evidently valued in the city of Albuquerque. However, I would like to see those struggling with addiction and homelessness better recognized and supported by our city's legislation. When all people are accounted for and supported it uplifts the city as a whole rather than creating a struggling and unsafe space to live and be a part of.... Read 968 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B+

• Population 562,336

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 4 out of 5  28 reviews

Current Resident: Artesia, NM has friendly people, a local arts theater, youth and adult sports and our beloved hometown coffee house that serves coffees, teas, frozen drinks, aqua frescas, soups and sandwiches, snacks and ice creams served up with free WiFi and friendly smiles. This is a hot spot for teenagers, families and business professionals alike. Our school system is all about the students academics and sports. Our local businesses support our students every way possible. Artesia is probably like most places with a population of under 15,000. We work hard and lookout for each other. We pull over on the shoulder when emergency services are coming behind us out of concern for the unknown person requiring aid praying they will make it through what ever has happened. When we come up on a funeral procession we respectively turn off our music and slow down so the grieving families can focus on the situation at hand. We respect our elders and love our children. We are a friendly town.... Read 28 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A

• Population 12,637

• Town in New Mexico

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  Rating 4 out of 5  7 reviews

Current Resident: We have a great culture experience if you want to see the pueblo life. We have Native American dances and awesome art galleries that the tourists and locals can enjoy. People can be given a bison tour to see pojoaque's buffaloes. Pojoaque also offers two casinos that people can go gamble, or get some great food, and also hotel rooms to stay in.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B+

• grade C+

• Population 2,281

• Suburb of Las Cruces, NM

• grade B+

• grade B minus

• Population 2,328

• Town in New Mexico

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 1,568

• Suburb of Albuquerque, NM

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  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: Paradise Hills is a wonderful place! It is an older neighborhood which comes with older houses and road conditions are not kept up all the time but the people are friendly and the character is truly indicative of New Mexico! The culture is rich and the access to the city life is close and easy.... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• grade B+

• Population 4,442