Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is New Mexico a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in New Mexico.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Land Of Enchantment based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of New Mexico, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 33 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Mexico For 2025
- Los Alamos County
- Sandoval County
- Taos County
- Bernalillo County
- Santa Fe County
- Colfax County
- Eddy County
- Mora County
- Valencia County
- Lincoln County
Los Alamos County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New Mexico. And you should avoid Mckinley County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New Mexico. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Mexico and the cheapest places to live in New Mexico.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In New Mexico For 2025
1. Los Alamos County
Biggest Place: Los Alamos
Population: 19,374
Median Income: $143,188 (best)
Median Home Price: $452,500 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (best)
More on Los Alamos County:
2. Sandoval County
Biggest Place: Rio Rancho
Population: 151,538
Median Income: $84,053 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $282,300 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (13th best)
More on Sandoval County:
3. Taos County
Biggest Place: Taos
Population: 34,516
Median Income: $58,908 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $354,000 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (9th best)
More on Taos County:
4. Bernalillo County
Biggest Place: Albuquerque
Population: 674,357
Median Income: $66,514 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $268,500 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (11th best)
More on Bernalillo County:
5. Santa Fe County
Biggest Place: Santa Fe
Population: 155,175
Median Income: $74,689 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $416,900 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (14th best)
More on Santa Fe County:
6. Colfax County
Biggest Place: Raton
Population: 12,336
Median Income: $52,690 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $161,000 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (3rd best)
More on Colfax County:
7. Eddy County
Biggest Place: Carlsbad
Population: 61,114
Median Income: $79,605 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $199,400 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (6th best)
More on Eddy County:
8. Mora County
Biggest Place: Mora
Population: 4,176
Median Income: $50,178 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $119,900 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (16th best)
More on Mora County:
9. Valencia County
Biggest Place: Los Lunas
Population: 77,382
Median Income: $58,333 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $206,800 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.9% (22nd best)
More on Valencia County:
10. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Ruidoso
Population: 20,227
Median Income: $51,643 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $212,200 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (18th best)
More on Lincoln County:
Methodology: How do you determine which New Mexico county is the best?
To give you the best county in New Mexico, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in New Mexico across each of the criteria from one to 33, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In New Mexico.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Land Of Enchantment.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in New Mexico.
Read on to see why Los Alamos County is the best county, while Mckinley County is probably in contention for being the worst county in New Mexico.
Summary: The Best Counties In New Mexico To Call Home For 2025
Living in New Mexico can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in New Mexico are Los Alamos County, Sandoval County, Taos County, Bernalillo County, Santa Fe County, Colfax County, Eddy County, Mora County, Valencia County, and Lincoln County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New Mexico according to the data:
- Mckinley County
- Cibola County
- Luna County
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Best Counties To Live In New Mexico
- Best Places To Retire In New Mexico
- Best Places To Buy A House In New Mexico
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Mexico
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | 19,374 | $143,188 | $452,500 |
| 2 | Sandoval County | 151,538 | $84,053 | $282,300 |
| 3 | Taos County | 34,516 | $58,908 | $354,000 |
| 4 | Bernalillo County | 674,357 | $66,514 | $268,500 |
| 5 | Santa Fe County | 155,175 | $74,689 | $416,900 |
| 6 | Colfax County | 12,336 | $52,690 | $161,000 |
| 7 | Eddy County | 61,114 | $79,605 | $199,400 |
| 8 | Mora County | 4,176 | $50,178 | $119,900 |
| 9 | Valencia County | 77,382 | $58,333 | $206,800 |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 20,227 | $51,643 | $212,200 |
| 11 | Rio Arriba County | 40,165 | $53,901 | $230,900 |
| 12 | San Miguel County | 27,036 | $47,400 | $177,600 |
| 13 | Catron County | 3,685 | $46,439 | $171,800 |
| 14 | Grant County | 27,856 | $45,921 | $164,400 |
| 15 | Sierra County | 11,511 | $37,840 | $144,800 |
| 16 | Otero County | 68,235 | $52,717 | $149,500 |
| 17 | Socorro County | 16,308 | $47,556 | $143,200 |
| 18 | Curry County | 47,932 | $56,259 | $160,800 |
| 19 | Hidalgo County | 4,097 | $49,076 | $114,000 |
| 20 | Lea County | 73,154 | $68,750 | $176,000 |
| 21 | Doã±a Ana County | 221,665 | $55,663 | $205,400 |
| 22 | Harding County | 748 | $41,250 | $86,500 |
| 23 | Torrance County | 15,290 | $46,250 | $145,100 |
| 24 | San Juan County | 121,178 | $53,020 | $185,100 |
| 25 | Union County | 4,039 | $45,319 | $135,900 |
| 26 | Roosevelt County | 19,002 | $52,445 | $136,000 |
| 27 | Guadalupe County | 4,379 | $40,149 | $107,200 |
| 28 | Chaves County | 64,446 | $52,029 | $141,900 |
| 29 | Quay County | 8,616 | $43,698 | $82,200 |
| 30 | De Baca County | 1,580 | $40,804 | $158,000 |
| 31 | Luna County | 25,420 | $37,917 | $112,500 |
| 32 | Cibola County | 27,059 | $51,765 | $120,000 |
| 33 | Mckinley County | 71,172 | $44,496 | $72,100 |