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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Land Of Enchantment for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Mexico For 2022
Los Alamos County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New Mexico. And you might want to avoid Luna County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move New Mexico, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Mexico and the cheapest places to live in New Mexico.
The Best Counties To Live In New Mexico For 2022
1. Los Alamos County
Biggest Place: Los Alamos
Population: 18,976
Median Income: $119,266.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $322,200.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (4th best)
More on Los Alamos County: Photos | Data
2. Sandoval County
Biggest Place: Rio Rancho
Population: 144,954
Median Income: $65,071.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $211,700.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (14th best)
More on Sandoval County: Photos | Data
3. Bernalillo County
Biggest Place: Albuquerque
Population: 679,037
Median Income: $54,308.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $205,500.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (12th best)
More on Bernalillo County: Photos | Data
4. Santa Fe County
Biggest Place: Santa Fe
Population: 150,319
Median Income: $60,668.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $294,800.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (8th best)
More on Santa Fe County: Photos | Data
5. Eddy County
Biggest Place: Carlsbad
Population: 57,865
Median Income: $65,000.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $161,100.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (5th best)
More on Eddy County: Photos | Data
6. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Ruidoso
Population: 19,640
Median Income: $44,939.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $172,800.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (9th best)
More on Lincoln County: Photos | Data
7. Taos County
Biggest Place: Taos
Population: 32,759
Median Income: $41,973.0 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $249,000.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 8.2% (24th best)
More on Taos County: Photos | Data
8. Colfax County
Biggest Place: Raton
Population: 12,106
Median Income: $36,937.0 (22nd best)
Median Home Price: $108,900.0 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (6th best)
More on Colfax County: Photos | Data
9. Valencia County
Biggest Place: Los Lunas
Population: 76,518
Median Income: $50,801.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $151,600.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.7% (20th best)
More on Valencia County: Photos | Data
10. Chaves County
Biggest Place: Roswell
Population: 64,912
Median Income: $46,254.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $115,400.0 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (10th best)
More on Chaves County: Photos | 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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Land Of Enchantment.
Read on to see why Los Alamos County is the best county, while Luna County is probably in contention for being the worst county in New Mexico.
Summary: The Best Counties In New Mexico To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in New Mexico can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New Mexico according to the data:
- Luna County
- Cibola County
- Mckinley County
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
- Richest Cities In New Mexico
- Best Counties To Live In New Mexico
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Mexico
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Los Alamos County | 1 |
| Sandoval County | 2 |
| Bernalillo County | 3 |
| Santa Fe County | 4 |
| Eddy County | 5 |
| Lincoln County | 6 |
| Taos County | 7 |
| Colfax County | 8 |
| Valencia County | 9 |
| Chaves County | 10 |
| Catron County | 11 |
| San Juan County | 12 |
| San Miguel County | 13 |
| Quay County | 14 |
| Rio Arriba County | 15 |
| Harding County | 16 |
| Otero County | 17 |
| Sierra County | 18 |
| Grant County | 19 |
| Lea County | 20 |
| Curry County | 21 |
| Socorro County | 22 |
| De Baca County | 23 |
| Mora County | 24 |
| Hidalgo County | 25 |
| Torrance County | 26 |
| Union County | 27 |
| Guadalupe County | 28 |
| Doã±a Ana County | 29 |
| Roosevelt County | 30 |
| Mckinley County | 31 |
| Cibola County | 32 |
| Luna County | 33 |