Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico For 2020

What is it about New Mexico that makes over 2 million people--700,000 families happy to call it home? We'll tell you, point blank, it has some of the best places to raise a family.

If you and your family already live in New Mexico, consider yourself lucky. But if you're thinking about moving your family to this southwestern paradise, we suggest you take a look at HomeSnacks list of best places to raise your family in New Mexico for 2020. How did we determine New Mexico's most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in New Mexico with more than 5,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 26 family friendly places. This is also our second time ranking New Mexico's most family friendly cities, so trust us when we say that any family would be lucky to call one these places home.

Why'd we do it? For many reasons. One, we wouldn't want any family to miss out on Roswell's family friendly UFO festival each year. Two, the state has ten Blue Ribbon schools and some of them can be found in New Mexico's most family friendly places. And three, we wouldn't want your family to get stuck in one of New Mexico's most dangerous places-that would be 'no bueno'! With the promise of sunshine 358 days per year you'd think that every city in New Mexico would have made the top 100 best cities in the country to raise a family. Surprisingly, that 's not the case, but their are some 'real' gems on New Mexico's most family friendly list.

So, don't wait one more second, scroll down to check out the places in New Mexico that scream family friendly. We promise you won't be disappointed.

When you choose to live in one of New Mexico's best places for families, you are choosing to live where you can keep your family safe, happy, and healthy. And that makes perfect sense.

So, what's the best place for families to live in New Mexico for 2020? Drum roll... the number one best place for families in The Land of Enchantment is Grants based on the most recent Census data.

To see how your favorite places in New Mexico compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don't see it there, head to the bottom.

Check out some more reading about New Mexico and the best places for families in the country:

• Best Places To Live In New Mexico
• Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
• Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
• Best States To Raise A Family In America

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico For 2020

1. Grants

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 9,063
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 59
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 39.6%
More on Grants: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Grants is a city in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It is located about 78 miles west of Albuquerque. The population was 9,182 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Cibola County.

2. Los Alamos

Source: Wikipedia User Daniel Schwen | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 12,373
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 43
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 26.4%
More on Los Alamos: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Los Alamos is a town in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States that is recognized as the birthplace of the atomic bomb--the primary objective of the Manhattan Project by Los Alamos National Laboratory during World War II. The town is located on four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau, and has a population of 12,019. It is the county seat and one of two population centers in the county known as census-designated places ; the other is White Rock.

3. Corrales

Source: Wikipedia User Chris English | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 8,544
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 63
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 17.1%
More on Corrales: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Corrales is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 8,329 at the 2010 Census. With proximity to the Rio Grande, the village was founded for agricultural purposes. The Rio Grande Bosque on the eastern edge of the village provides refuge for native animals and plants. The village fights hard to maintain its rural character in light of being surrounded by the rapidly expanding cities of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque.

4. Anthony

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 9,368
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 47
Closest Major City: El Paso
Households with kids: 56.6%
More on Anthony: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

5. Ruidoso

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,757
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: El Paso
Households with kids: 17.0%
More on Ruidoso: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 8,029 at the 2010 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs and the unincorporated area of Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area's population of 21,223.

6. Portales

Source: Wikipedia User Wordbuilder | CC BY 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 11,974
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City: Lubbock
Households with kids: 34.3%
More on Portales: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.

7. Los Lunas

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 15,428
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 53
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 36.7%
More on Los Lunas: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population is 14,835 inside the village limits due to the new housing developments at El Cerro de Los Lunas. It is the county seat of Valencia County.

8. Aztec

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,567
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 41
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 36.8%
More on Aztec: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

9. Socorro

Source: Wikipedia User Jimwmurphy | CC BY 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 8,554
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 20.9%
More on Socorro: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of 4,579 feet. In 2012 the population was 8,906. It is the county seat of Socorro County. Socorro is located 74 miles south of Albuquerque and 146 miles north of Las Cruces.

10. Santa Fe

Source: Wikipedia User Vivaverdi | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 83,847
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 89
Closest Major City: Albuquerque
Households with kids: 23.4%
More on Santa Fe: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Santa Fe is the capital of the state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and the seat of Santa Fe County.

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How do you determine which place is best for families in New Mexico anyways?

To give you the places in New Mexico which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what's family-friendly and what isn't.

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Land of Enchantment

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of New Mexico, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

• Crime (Both violent and property)
• Quality of local schools
• Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
• % of households with children
• Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)

We then gave each city a Family Score.

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 5,000 people. For New Mexico, that meant a total of 26 cities. You can download the data here.

There You Have It - The Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico

If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in New Mexico ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

Here's a look at the best cities for singles New Mexico according to the data:

1. Truth or Consequences
2. Deming
3. Roswell

For more new mexico reading, check out:

• Richest Cities In New Mexico
• Best Places To Live In New Mexico
• Best Places To Retire In New Mexico

Where Are The Best Places For Families In New Mexico?