Is being in an area of New Mexico that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Albuquerque and Las Cruces, while others want peace and quiet like in Tucumcari and Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in New Mexico have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Land Of Enchantment that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Mexico For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in New Mexico for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Edgewood ranks as the fastest-growing city in New Mexico. If you happen to be a resident of Edgewood, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in New Mexico grow like weeds.
For more New Mexico state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Mexico For 2025
1. Edgewood
/10
Population: 6,122
Population 2010: 3,664
Percent Growth 67.1%
Absolute Growth: 2,458
More on Edgewood:
2. Rio Rancho
/10
Population: 106,533
Population 2010: 81,056
Percent Growth 31.4%
Absolute Growth: 25,477
More on Rio Rancho: Data
3. Santa Fe
/10
Population: 88,224
Population 2010: 67,588
Percent Growth 30.5%
Absolute Growth: 20,636
More on Santa Fe: Data
4. Los Lunas
/10
Population: 17,932
Population 2010: 13,874
Percent Growth 29.2%
Absolute Growth: 4,058
More on Los Lunas: Data
5. Carlsbad
/10
Population: 31,813
Population 2010: 25,698
Percent Growth 23.8%
Absolute Growth: 6,115
More on Carlsbad: Data
6. Sunland Park
/10
Population: 17,085
Population 2010: 13,832
Percent Growth 23.5%
Absolute Growth: 3,253
More on Sunland Park: Data
7. Las Cruces
/10
Population: 112,612
Population 2010: 92,897
Percent Growth 21.2%
Absolute Growth: 19,715
More on Las Cruces: Data
8. Hobbs
/10
Population: 39,887
Population 2010: 32,940
Percent Growth 21.1%
Absolute Growth: 6,947
More on Hobbs: Data
9. Taos
/10
Population: 6,468
Population 2010: 5,597
Percent Growth 15.6%
Absolute Growth: 871
More on Taos: Data
10. Artesia
/10
Population: 12,555
Population 2010: 11,061
Percent Growth 13.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,494
More on Artesia: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Land Of Enchantment for 2025
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2023)
We ranked all 33 New Mexico cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Land Of Enchantment.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in New Mexico.
Here’s a graph of the cities in New Mexico with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In New Mexico, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in New Mexico are led by Edgewood which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in New Mexico are Edgewood, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Los Lunas, Carlsbad, Sunland Park, Las Cruces, Hobbs, Taos, and Artesia.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Raton
- Aztec
- Silver City
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Safest Places In New Mexico
- Worst Places To Live In New Mexico
Fastest Growing Places In New Mexico For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgewood | 6,122 | 3,664 | 67.1% | 2,458 |
| 2 | Rio Rancho | 106,533 | 81,056 | 31.4% | 25,477 |
| 3 | Santa Fe | 88,224 | 67,588 | 30.5% | 20,636 |
| 4 | Los Lunas | 17,932 | 13,874 | 29.2% | 4,058 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 31,813 | 25,698 | 23.8% | 6,115 |
| 6 | Sunland Park | 17,085 | 13,832 | 23.5% | 3,253 |
| 7 | Las Cruces | 112,612 | 92,897 | 21.2% | 19,715 |
| 8 | Hobbs | 39,887 | 32,940 | 21.1% | 6,947 |
| 9 | Taos | 6,468 | 5,597 | 15.6% | 871 |
| 10 | Artesia | 12,555 | 11,061 | 13.5% | 1,494 |