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 2024
What’s the fastest growing city in New Mexico for 2024? 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 2024
1. Edgewood
/10
Population: 6,113
Population 2010: 3,664
Percent Growth 66.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,449
More on Edgewood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Santa Fe
/10
Population: 87,617
Population 2010: 67,588
Percent Growth 29.6%
Absolute Growth: 20,029
More on Santa Fe: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Rio Rancho
/10
Population: 104,351
Population 2010: 81,056
Percent Growth 28.7%
Absolute Growth: 23,295
More on Rio Rancho: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Los Lunas
/10
Population: 17,452
Population 2010: 13,874
Percent Growth 25.8%
Absolute Growth: 3,578
More on Los Lunas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Carlsbad
/10
Population: 31,755
Population 2010: 25,698
Percent Growth 23.6%
Absolute Growth: 6,057
More on Carlsbad: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Sunland Park
/10
Population: 16,773
Population 2010: 13,832
Percent Growth 21.3%
Absolute Growth: 2,941
More on Sunland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Hobbs
/10
Population: 39,782
Population 2010: 32,940
Percent Growth 20.8%
Absolute Growth: 6,842
More on Hobbs: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Las Cruces
/10
Population: 111,273
Population 2010: 92,897
Percent Growth 19.8%
Absolute Growth: 18,376
More on Las Cruces: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Taos
/10
Population: 6,458
Population 2010: 5,597
Percent Growth 15.4%
Absolute Growth: 861
More on Taos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Bernalillo
/10
Population: 9,286
Population 2010: 8,073
Percent Growth 15.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,213
More on Bernalillo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Land Of Enchantment for 2024
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 2022)
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 2024. 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, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Carlsbad, Sunland Park, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Taos, and Bernalillo.
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
- Truth Or Consequences
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 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgewood | 6,113 | 3,664 | 66.8% | 2,449 |
| 2 | Santa Fe | 87,617 | 67,588 | 29.6% | 20,029 |
| 3 | Rio Rancho | 104,351 | 81,056 | 28.7% | 23,295 |
| 4 | Los Lunas | 17,452 | 13,874 | 25.8% | 3,578 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 31,755 | 25,698 | 23.6% | 6,057 |
| 6 | Sunland Park | 16,773 | 13,832 | 21.3% | 2,941 |
| 7 | Hobbs | 39,782 | 32,940 | 20.8% | 6,842 |
| 8 | Las Cruces | 111,273 | 92,897 | 19.8% | 18,376 |
| 9 | Taos | 6,458 | 5,597 | 15.4% | 861 |
| 10 | Bernalillo | 9,286 | 8,073 | 15.0% | 1,213 |
