The 10 Safest Cities In New Mexico For 2020
We used data and science to determine the places in New Mexico where everyone sleeps safe and sound.
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Don't let the fact that New Mexico is ranked 2020s worst state by RoadSnacks scare you, it actually has some pretty safe places to call home.
We would like to think that hopping someone else's fence to get a good look at an alien and/or breaking the speed limit are the only petty crimes that happen in New Mexico; unfortunately, however, the state has some pretty dangerous places. And lucky for you, HomeSnacks is here to save the day: we've created a list of the safest places in The Land of Enchantment for 2020.
Incidentally, we aren't the only ones ready to help the good people of New Mexico. The state currently has close to 300,000 police officers, 245 fire departments, and 55 hospitals ready to keep you safe. But that only goes so far, right?
But, the question still remains, how did we determine the safest places in New Mexico? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 28 cities. We looked at important factors like property crimes and violent crimes per capita for every place with over 5,000 residents.
We discovered that there are super safe places in New Mexico for every stage of life and every budget. For instance, Portales is safe for singles, Corrales is safe for families, and Truth or Consequences is safe for people on a budget.
Have we picqued your interest? Want to know more about our methodology and where the safest places in New Mexico are located? Keep reading.
All extraterrestrial talk aside, being the most dangerous state in the country means that you can only go up from there. And folks, the safest places in New Mexico are trying to help the state do just that.
So, what city is the safest place to live in New Mexico for 2020? Well, according to the most recent FBI data we crunched, Corrales is the safest place to live in The Land of Enchantment.
Scroll on down to check out the rest of our not so naughty, very safe New Mexico cities to see how your city ranked. And if you don't find your favorite there, head to the bottom.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around New Mexico, check out:
- Safest States In America
- Safest Cities In America
- Best Places To Live In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
The 10 Safest Cities In New Mexico For 2020
/10
Population: 8,577
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 34 (1st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 501 (2nd safest)
More on Corrales: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located just north Albuquerque, Corrales is the safest place in the Land of Enchantment. With only 3 violent crimes committed in 2018, Corrales had a violent crime rate 11 times lower than the national average. The property crime rate in Corrales was also the second lowest in New Mexico. That's good news for folks who want to hit the grower's market on a Sunday morning, without fear of their fresh fruits and veggies getting snatched.
Corrales has more going for it then just safety; we also named the idyllic village the best place to live in New Mexico, meaning everything from house prices to education levels are stellar in Corrales. On the flip side, it's also the richest place to live in New Mexico, so you may want a little nest egg before moving here.
/10
Population: 18,883
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 127 (2nd safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 582 (3rd safest)
More on Los Alamos: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Known as the Atomic City for being the town that developed the atomic bomb, Los Alamos is a much safer place than back when they were fiddling with nuclear fission there. In fact, we named it the best family city in all of New Mexico, due in part to how safe it is. Los Alamos had the second lowest violent crime rate in the state, with an average of only two violent crimes each month. The town also averaged a super-low two property crimes a week, a rate about four times lower than the national average.
Los Alamos is also home to Bandelier National Monument, so you'll never lack for exceptional natural beauty and wildlife.
/10
Population: 97,394
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 202 (4th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,637 (6th safest)
More on Rio Rancho: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located right beside Corrales, Rio Rancho is the third safest city in New Mexico. And that's fantastic news for folks who want to enjoy one of the best parks in the state.
With a population of 97394, Rio Rancho is the biggest city to make this list by a wide margin. That large population didn't stop Rio Rancho from having the sixth lowest property and fourth lowest violent crime rate in the state. Rio Rancho is actually awesome in just about every way, contributing to the city being the second bes place to live in New Mexico.
/10
Population: 8,982
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 211 (5th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,503 (5th safest)
More on Grants: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located on the Trail of the Ancients Byway 75 miles west of Albuquerque, Grants is the fourth safest city in New Mexico. Grants had the fifth lowest rate of violence in the state, with about 1.5 cases a month on average. The property crime rate in Grants is also the fifth lowest statewide, with residents facing a 1 in 66.5 chance of being the victim of a robbery or theft.
Grants also has the benefit of being a short drive from El Mapais National Monument, with the attendant surplus of great hikes around.
/10
Population: 11,175
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 134 (3rd safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,425 (8th safest)
More on Lovington: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located in Lea County in the southeastern part of the state, Lovington is the fifth safest city in New Mexico overall. The city had the eighth lowest rate of property crime and third lowest lowest rate of violent crime in the state. That works out to just over one violent crime committed per month on average.
On top of that, in Lovington, you can learn to protect yourself against predatory animals at Predator University. So whether you're afraid of wolves or criminals, your mind will be equally at ease in Lovington.
/10
Population: 9,313
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 440 (11th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 440 (1st safest)
More on Anthony: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Anthony is the sixth safest place in New Mexico due mostly to its super low rate of property crime; the lowest in the state. Residents of Anthony had a 1 in 227.1 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2018, a rate five times lower than the national average. So you don't have to worry about anyone pitching your wine after a day at La Vina Winery.
Anthony is located just a half hour north of El Paso and the Mexican border.
/10
Population: 5,960
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 218 (6th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,701 (11th safest)
More on Raton: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located in northeastern New Mexico just 7 miles south of the Colorado border, Raton is the seventh safest city in the state. With just over a violent crime a month on average, Raton had the sixth lowest rate of violence in the New Mexico. Raton's more than safe, though - it's fun. As long as you don't run into a mountain lion or a bear at Sugarite Canyon State Park, you should be totally safe.
Raton's also the 5th best city for singles in New Mexico, so you can look for love in total safety.
/10
Population: 31,332
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 306 (7th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,261 (15th safest)
More on Alamogordo: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, Alamogordo is the eighth safest city in New Mexico. Alamogordo averaged around eight violent crimes a month, a fairly low figure for a city of 31332. On top of having the seventh lowest rate of violence in the state, Alamogordo is one of the most affordable places to call home in New Mexico . History buffs will also appreciate the Museum of Space History.
/10
Population: 7,718
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 375 (8th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,928 (14th safest)
More on Ruidoso: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Ruidoso is the ninth safest city overall in New Mexico, with the 14th lowest rate of property and eighth lowest rate of violent crime in the state. Folks in Ruidoso had a 1 in 266 of being the victim of a violent crime in 2018, a rate much lower than the statewide average. On the downside, Ruidoso is the third most expensive place in New Mexico, but we think living in safety is worth every penny.
Ruidoso is located in Lincoln County, adjacent to Lincoln National Forest.
/10
Population: 6,538
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 550 (15th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,233 (7th safest)
More on Aztec: Photos | Search Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Located in San Juan County in the northwestern part of New Mexico, Aztec is the tenth safest city in the state. Aztec had the seventh lowest rate of property crime in the state, with a rate about 20% lower than the statewide average. If the violent crime rate comes down in the next year, Aztec will certainly jump up higher on this list. Aztec is also home to Aztec Ruins National Monument, a half-mile trail through 900-year old ruins.
How we calculated the safest cities in New Mexico for 2020
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the safest, we didn't want to rely on speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent report of crime (Published Sept 2019) in New Mexico.
Specifically, we analyzed the FBI's Uniform Crime Report which summarizes the number of property crimes and violent crimes in each city per year. We used two criteria:- Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
- Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)
For example, there were a total of 46 crimes committed in Corrales which had a reported population of 8,577. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0054 which translates into a 1 in 186 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at cities that have populations of more than 5,000 people reported to the FBI in 2018, the last reporting year. This left us with a total of 28 of the biggest cities in New Mexico to rank.
We ranked each city for each criteria from 1 to 28 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each places two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score "The Safest Place In New Mexico" with any ties going to the bigger city. You can download the data here.
The safest city in New Mexico, based on our criteria, is Corrales. The most dangerous city in New Mexico? Gallup, where residents had a 1 in 11 chance of being the victim of a crime.
Note: This report is not an analysis of the effectiveness of local police departments, nor does it reflect the fact that people from out of town may come into a community and cause a crime. It simply looks at where crimes occurred most frequently, based on a city's population.
There You Have It - The Safest Cities In The Land of Enchantment
Looking at the data, you can tell that Corrales is as safe as they come, according to science and data.
But as most New Mexico residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in New Mexico according to the data:
- Gallup
- Belen
- Albuquerque
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Best Places To Retire In New Mexico
- Richest Cities In New Mexico
Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In New Mexico For 2020?
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corrales, NM | 8,577 | 34 | 501 |
| 2 | Los Alamos, NM | 18,883 | 127 | 582 |
| 3 | Rio Rancho, NM | 97,394 | 202 | 1,637 |
| 4 | Grants, NM | 8,982 | 211 | 1,503 |
| 5 | Lovington, NM | 11,175 | 134 | 2,425 |
| 6 | Anthony, NM | 9,313 | 440 | 440 |
| 7 | Raton, NM | 5,960 | 218 | 2,701 |
| 8 | Alamogordo, NM | 31,332 | 306 | 3,261 |
| 9 | Ruidoso, NM | 7,718 | 375 | 2,928 |
| 10 | Aztec, NM | 6,538 | 550 | 2,233 |
How Is Your Town In ?
Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico
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.
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