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 31 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Mexico For 2026
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 2026
1. Los Alamos County
Biggest Place: Los Alamos
Population: 19,435
Median Income: $147,139 (best)
Median Home Price: $582,354 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6% (best)
More on Los Alamos County: Data
2. Sandoval County
Biggest Place: Rio Rancho
Population: 153,604
Median Income: $86,636 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $375,317 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (13th best)
More on Sandoval County: Data
3. Santa Fe County
Biggest Place: Santa Fe
Population: 156,105
Median Income: $79,071 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $551,953 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (14th best)
More on Santa Fe County: Data
4. Bernalillo County
Biggest Place: Albuquerque
Population: 673,930
Median Income: $69,473 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $347,857 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (15th best)
More on Bernalillo County: Data
5. Taos County
Biggest Place: Taos
Population: 34,543
Median Income: $58,950 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $436,542 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (24th best)
More on Taos County: Data
6. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Ruidoso
Population: 20,224
Median Income: $53,303 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $345,943 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (12th best)
More on Lincoln County: Data
7. Mora County
Biggest Place: Wagon Mound
Population: 4,149
Median Income: $53,663 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $156,523 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (6th best)
More on Mora County: Data
8. Rio Arriba County
Biggest Place: Dulce
Population: 40,070
Median Income: $57,155 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $342,346 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (10th best)
More on Rio Arriba County: Data
9. Colfax County
Biggest Place: Raton
Population: 12,322
Median Income: $53,554 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $244,654 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (5th best)
More on Colfax County: Data
10. Catron County
Biggest Place: Reserve
Population: 3,743
Median Income: $49,864 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $230,424 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (8th best)
More on Catron County: Data
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 31, 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 2026. This report is our eleventh 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 2026
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, Santa Fe County, Bernalillo County, Taos County, Lincoln County, Mora County, Rio Arriba County, Colfax County, and Catron 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:
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Safest Places In New Mexico
- Richest Cities In New Mexico
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Mexico
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | 19,435 | $147,139 | $582,354 |
| 2 | Sandoval County | 153,604 | $86,636 | $375,317 |
| 3 | Santa Fe County | 156,105 | $79,071 | $551,953 |
| 4 | Bernalillo County | 673,930 | $69,473 | $347,857 |
| 5 | Taos County | 34,543 | $58,950 | $436,542 |
| 6 | Lincoln County | 20,224 | $53,303 | $345,943 |
| 7 | Mora County | 4,149 | $53,663 | $156,523 |
| 8 | Rio Arriba County | 40,070 | $57,155 | $342,346 |
| 9 | Colfax County | 12,322 | $53,554 | $244,654 |
| 10 | Catron County | 3,743 | $49,864 | $230,424 |
| 11 | Valencia County | 78,458 | $58,933 | $313,402 |
| 12 | Eddy County | 61,105 | $78,426 | $247,118 |
| 13 | Sierra County | 11,500 | $41,600 | $171,956 |
| 14 | San Miguel County | 26,850 | $49,431 | $257,118 |
| 15 | Torrance County | 15,490 | $57,842 | $227,153 |
| 16 | Grant County | 27,775 | $44,958 | $188,064 |
| 17 | Otero County | 68,816 | $55,876 | $231,764 |
| 18 | San Juan County | 120,942 | $55,872 | $269,836 |
| 19 | Harding County | 741 | $48,553 | $89,369 |
| 20 | Guadalupe County | 4,381 | $42,750 | $140,437 |
| 21 | Union County | 4,013 | $46,694 | $121,430 |
| 22 | Lea County | 73,733 | $68,015 | $191,098 |
| 23 | Quay County | 8,564 | $41,946 | $106,213 |
| 24 | Socorro County | 16,200 | $36,570 | $195,297 |
| 25 | Curry County | 47,638 | $57,309 | $159,646 |
| 26 | Roosevelt County | 18,928 | $52,685 | $146,094 |
| 27 | Chaves County | 64,217 | $52,938 | $170,648 |
| 28 | Hidalgo County | 4,041 | $48,882 | $100,641 |
| 29 | Luna County | 25,611 | $36,419 | $161,942 |
| 30 | Cibola County | 26,845 | $50,759 | $154,549 |
| 31 | Mckinley County | 70,431 | $47,668 | $219,828 |