The 10 Best Small Towns In New Mexico For 2025


The best small towns in New Mexico are Sandia Heights and La Huerta for 2025 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: October 1, 2025

You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in New Mexico. Best sururbs in New Mexico. Best counties in New Mexico.

Etc., etc., etc.

But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Land of Enchantment, and no one pays attention to the little guy.

Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in New Mexico based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.

We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in New Mexico ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In New Mexico For 2025

  1. Sandia Heights
  2. La Huerta
  3. Talpa
  4. Mesilla
  5. El Cerro
  6. Sandia Knolls
  7. Paradise Hills
  8. Tome
  9. La Villita
  10. Arroyo Seco
  11. Pecos
  12. La Mesilla
  13. Peralta
  14. Los Chaves
  15. El Rancho

Best Small Towns To Live In New Mexico Map

What’s the best small town in New Mexico? Sandia Heights is the best small town in New Mexico based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Sandia Heights, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.

For more reading on the Land of Enchantment check out:

The 15 Best Small Towns In New Mexico For 2025

1. Sandia Heights

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,083
Median Income: $151,538 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $623,500 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%

2. La Huerta

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,673
Median Income: $83,672 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $421,600 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

3. Talpa

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,126
Median Income: $59,323 (37th Best)
Median Home Value: $356,300 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

4. Mesilla

Mesilla, NM

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,850
Median Income: $73,681 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $296,200 (12th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%

5. El Cerro

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,093
Median Income: $112,174 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $291,800 (14th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%

6. Sandia Knolls

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,436
Median Income: $102,801 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $286,400 (15th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%

7. Paradise Hills

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 4,662
Median Income: $74,403 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $241,300 (28th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8%

8. Tome

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,525
Median Income: $84,243 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $272,400 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%

9. La Villita

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,440
Median Income: $130,357 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $259,500 (23rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

10. Arroyo Seco

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,107
Median Income: $69,917 (20th Best)
Median Home Value: $525,500 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%

11. Pecos

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,145
Median Income: $69,327 (22nd Best)
Median Home Value: $260,000 (21st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%

12. La Mesilla

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,531
Median Income: $74,385 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $266,900 (18th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%

13. Peralta

Peralta, NM

Source: Wikipedia User Cathy from USA | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,385
Median Income: $67,703 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $275,000 (16th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%

14. Los Chaves

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,641
Median Income: $81,320 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $240,500 (29th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%

15. El Rancho

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,432
Median Income: $78,594 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $257,100 (24th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%

Best States In America

Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In New Mexico

We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in New Mexico possible.

Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Lowest Unemployment Rates
  • Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
  • Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
  • Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
  • Commute Times (Lower is better)

We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 84 to be exact.

We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 84, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in New Mexico. Top of that list — Sandia Heights.

This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in New Mexico.

Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones

We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in New Mexico are the best in which to live.

And who can argue with that?

The best small towns in New Mexico are Sandia Heights, La Huerta, Talpa, Mesilla, El Cerro, Sandia Knolls, Paradise Hills, Tome, La Villita, and Arroyo Seco.

If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in New Mexico:

  1. Thoreau
  2. Upper Fruitland
  3. Navajo

For more New Mexico reading, check out:

Best Small Towns In New Mexico

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Value Unemployment Rate
1 Sandia Heights, NM 3,083 $151,538 0.9%
2 La Huerta, NM 1,673 $83,672 0.0%
3 Talpa, NM 1,126 $59,323 0.0%
4 Mesilla, NM 1,850 $73,681 4.1%
5 El Cerro, NM 3,093 $112,174 3.3%
6 Sandia Knolls, NM 1,436 $102,801 2.3%
7 Paradise Hills, NM 4,662 $74,403 5.8%
8 Tome, NM 1,525 $84,243 1.8%
9 La Villita, NM 1,440 $130,357 0.0%
10 Arroyo Seco, NM 2,107 $69,917 11.9%
11 Pecos, NM 1,145 $69,327 3.0%
12 La Mesilla, NM 2,531 $74,385 2.5%
13 Peralta, NM 3,385 $67,703 5.1%
14 Los Chaves, NM 4,641 $81,320 2.5%
15 El Rancho, NM 1,432 $78,594 1.1%
16 Las Maravillas, NM 1,776 $61,200 5.7%
17 Ponderosa Pine, NM 1,091 $83,864 7.4%
18 San Ysidro, NM 2,179 $90,724 16.2%
19 Angel Fire, NM 1,089 $79,821 1.7%
20 Atoka, NM 1,038 $69,959 0.0%
21 Elephant Butte, NM 1,586 $45,179 3.7%
22 Tesuque, NM 1,087 $52,273 13.0%
23 La Cienega, NM 3,780 $68,676 4.3%
24 High Rolls, NM 1,463 $81,827 0.0%
25 Spencerville, NM 1,100 $60,708 5.2%
26 Bosque Farms, NM 4,042 $63,889 7.1%
27 Ohkay Owingeh, NM 1,178 $65,179 6.6%
28 Capitan, NM 1,262 $50,299 3.3%
29 Jarales, NM 1,939 $52,961 0.0%
30 Boles Acres, NM 1,967 $65,673 1.4%
31 Cloudcroft, NM 1,275 $38,428 0.0%
32 Pojoaque, NM 2,274 $68,188 6.1%
33 Jemez Pueblo, NM 2,273 $59,102 3.9%
34 El Valle De Arroyo Seco, NM 1,602 $69,556 8.7%
35 Santa Clara, NM 1,751 $46,094 7.3%
36 Santa Rosa, NM 2,447 $41,995 4.5%
37 Loving, NM 1,317 $60,203 5.1%
38 Springer, NM 1,098 $48,188 2.6%
39 Hurley, NM 1,137 $41,167 4.6%
40 Flora Vista, NM 2,215 $43,799 0.0%
41 Agua Fria, NM 2,842 $47,438 3.8%
42 Bayard, NM 2,370 $33,269 9.5%
43 Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 1,028 $72,188 4.1%
44 Questa, NM 2,112 $41,071 0.7%
45 Eunice, NM 2,989 $49,795 8.5%
46 Chimayo, NM 2,726 $52,305 1.0%
47 Algodones, NM 1,198 $63,750 7.0%
48 Lee Acres, NM 4,463 $50,846 10.8%
49 Dexter, NM 1,144 $61,118 7.6%
50 Nambe, NM 2,045 $45,341 9.2%
51 Waterflow, NM 1,215 $60,278 8.2%
52 Tularosa, NM 2,584 $45,147 23.0%
53 West Hammond, NM 2,519 $49,795 9.1%
54 Dulce, NM 2,782 $41,886 6.8%
55 Santa Clara Pueblo, NM 1,002 $42,083 1.3%
56 Jal, NM 2,069 $60,703 18.0%
57 Radium Springs, NM 1,661 $50,000 9.4%
58 Black Rock, NM 1,108 $55,350 1.9%
59 Clayton, NM 2,680 $40,192 10.3%
60 Santo Domingo Pueblo, NM 2,162 $85,865 8.8%
61 La Plata, NM 2,185 $54,801 2.6%
62 Dixon, NM 1,551 $43,148 8.5%
63 Hatch, NM 1,663 $40,625 17.4%
64 Rock Springs, NM 1,166 $93,333 2.2%
65 Columbus, NM 1,147 $24,554 4.9%
66 San Felipe Pueblo, NM 1,420 $55,385 26.3%
67 Lordsburg, NM 2,139 $33,899 4.8%
68 Mountainair, NM 1,308 $41,678 11.0%
69 Ruidoso Downs, NM 2,629 $31,413 5.8%
70 Milan, NM 2,473 $37,551 4.5%
71 Taos Pueblo, NM 1,294 $36,979 17.9%
72 La Luz, NM 1,683 $35,324 31.7%
73 Mcintosh, NM 1,310 $65,116 12.5%
74 Vado, NM 3,185 $29,844 7.0%
75 Keeler Farm, NM 1,450 $43,750 22.3%
76 Meadow Lake, NM 3,959 $38,872 6.1%
77 Crownpoint, NM 2,924 $35,926 9.2%
78 Alamo, NM 1,242 $24,427 17.1%
79 Moriarty, NM 2,074 $27,446 16.4%
80 Church Rock, NM 1,413 $35,417 7.3%
81 Estancia, NM 1,399 $34,559 42.6%
82 Navajo, NM 2,133 $28,917 20.8%
83 Upper Fruitland, NM 1,496 $40,446 11.9%
84 Thoreau, NM 1,795 $43,953 13.3%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Small Towns