10 Shocking Truths Why People Won't Move to New Mexico 

It may be not a great state to live in but I gotta say it’s one of the most underrated states when it comes to natural beauty. It’s got some majestic mountains!

Having lived in Northern NM for 35 years and frequently traveled through the nearby states of CO, UT and AZ... Thank you, thank you, thank you for this negative review of NM! It should help keep the hordes of "coasters" from moving into New Mexico and ruining the place like they have all our neighboring states! Freeway along the Front Range in CO now looks like the freeways of LA. Same for the freeways in SLC along the Wasatch Range. Tucson and Phoenix? Explosive growth with too many people and crowding now present. I like the quiet and the wide open spaces of NM. Winters are also fairly mild for a western Rocky Mountain state. Summers are not that hot if you living above 5,000 feet elevation (which most do here). Yeah, the SE section is the pits and I don't much care for ABQ but the rest of the state is nice. For some people the positives (esp. the lack of overcrowding and mild winters) are worth an awful lot.

As someone who is looking to retire and loves the desert and mountains and doesn’t like people, New Mexico looks damn good.

Most underrated state. Wide open spaces. Great climate. Beautiful geography.

New Mexico was my favorite place to work wildfire. The summer weather is wonderful. Pretty much zero humidity. No mosquitoes, few flies. Hot days, yes, but your sweat evaporates immediately so you stay comfortable, cool even cold nights perfect for sleeping. Best food anywhere in the US. Natural beauty everywhere. Biggest elk I've ever seen. Trout. Turkey. Mountain lions. Silver, turquoise, art, architecture, history. Most importantly, nice, nice, friendly people.

Native New Mexican here. My ancestors came here from Texas over a 100 years ago to ranch and stayed. I’ve lived in San Diego and LA but glad to be home again because the best part of this state is you can drive for miles and miles without seeing one city after another. It’s wide open spaces everywhere and most of that is open to the public. I don’t worry about people moving here and changing it because that hasn’t happened since NM became a state in 1912. 😂

We just moved back to NM after living in MI for 12 years. I rather deal with NM's issues than shovel snow ever again.

Grew up in NM, and came back for a short time in my early 20s, but the lack of decent jobs or even decent paying jobs, was the single worst part of living there. I miss the culture, the people, the weather, the whole feeling of the state, but if you can’t make a living, then it makes it hard to stay.

Devil's Hwy. (US 491) is called "Devil's Hwy.", not because it's a dangerous road, but because it used to be designated as US 666. In 2003, the route number was changed to US 491 mainly because too many people were stealing the "US 666" signs.

IDK about some of these items. I lived in NM for 10 years. We called it the Land of Disenchantment because you got sucked in by the natural beauty and the low cost of living, but then you were stuck there. I left because there were no decent jobs, no men, no water, and a backwards govt administration that wanted to keep the place backwards. That's a lot of why NM is the way it is: because the powers that be in Santa Fe don't want to see it change. I'm surprised there aren't dinosaurs wandering around on the West Mesa in Albuquerque in fact. I went there to attend New Mexico Tech, the #1 best kept secret in the state. Excellent science and engineering school. You can get a world class education at NMT and graduate without a buttload of debt. But when you do, high tail it outta Dodge.

There’s no perfect state, I’ve lived in 7 states throughout my life, but when I moved up to northern NM to Los Alamos in 1975 from Chicago area I fell in love with this state. Friendly people that are laid-back, multi-cultures, beautiful blue skies, mountains, desert areas, lots of open land, nice weather - noting too harsh. I like that this state isn’t over populated and hope it stays that way!!!

As someone who grew up here. Im 32 years old. Its a retirement state. For old people that get cold easy. Do not move your kids here. There is nothing for kids to do that isnt hours away. The schools are terrible and arent getting better and since theres nothing to do a lot of people turn to drugs or just being casual alcoholics. Move somewhere nicer and youll be happier.

I traveled all over the USA looking for a place to retire and I chose a small rural town in south central NM. Love it here as a refugee from the SF area. Friendly, affordable, beautiful, funky and wild. What is there not to like? Keep New Mexico underpopulated!

I have been living in New Mexico since 2017 and I have no idea what you are talking about. The statistics you are using include the Indian reservations. If you are not Native American, issues like no wifi do not apply at all. I have not run into one person here who did not speak English. I do not speak Spanish. The cost of living here is great. 5 bedroom house for $223k. We have free colllege and legal pot, which is financing preschool and childcare. I have the most friends I have ever had. All of them are extremely well educated and interesting. We have every imaginable group of religions. Art is everywhere, even on public trash cans. New Mexico is a beautiful state full of art galleries, hot springs, hiking trails, and balloons. The sunsets are amazing and the people are laid back and friendly. I always trusted your videos, but now I'm beginning to wonder. Who the hell did you talk to?

My wife and I grew up in Albuquerque, but left in 1991 due to the rising crime and not really wanting to raise our children there. We still have a soft spot for the state and are going back this fall to see the Balloon Fiesta again, but am not really sure we would want to live there again. We have lived in the Minneapolis area for the past 26 years, and other than the winters, much prefer the state. But New Mexico will always have a place in our hearts. Despite all its problems, it truly is The Land of Enchantment.

I just love New Mexico. Taos, White Sands, Los Alamos. It's a beautiful state. I live in Arizona and think about moving there all the time. It's just spectacular in my opinion.

I grew up in Seattle in the 1970s. My family is from New Mexico and Southern Colorado. You DON'T want people to "discover" your state because all it will do is push out the middle class. Seattle in the 1970s was very blue collar, but losing population to the suburbs. After 1990, the tech jobs came, and most of us who lived here got pushed out. Lucky for me that my parents bought their house cheap in 1966 and is now worth $$$$. I sold it and moved to the so called ritzy Eastside of Seattle. I am blessed, but I know many who are not😢

Thanks for helping to keep people out of our awesome state. I absolutely love it here & can think of nowhere else I would rather live (and yes, I’ve lived in 2 overseas countries and over 10 other states).

Happy to add my voice to those thanking you for discouraging people from moving to NM and turning it into another Arizona. I’ve lived in Santa Fe for eleven years and have no air conditioner because the temps on some high desert summer nights can drop into the fifties. Yes, we’re rural, we’re poor, we’re proudly Hispanic and Native American and like not being like every green-front lawn boring suburban state in America. And thanks for not mentioning the food. Oh, man, the southwestern cuisine. I mean - sorry - the food is terrible here. Just terrible!

I have to say, the last time I was in the SW, I couldn't get over the differences between AZ and NM. In New Mexico I just felt this very relaxed, easygoing vibe, which was directly the opposite of what I got in AZ. Not slagging anybody's home state, just saying the atmosphere seemed very different somehow. Sort of like Northern Cali vs. SoCal.

I used to live in NM. I still live just 30 miles away across the border in TX. NM is a beautiful state with wonderful food and a unique blend of cultures. They need a serious change in state government but they keep voting in the same type of leadership. That's too bad.

People have extreme feelings about NM. They either love or hate it. I happen to love it. The scenery is amazingly beautiful.

As a New Mexican I am okay with folks not wanting to move here. Please don't. Move along to somewhere else; we are not the poorer for your absence.

If one is young and building a career NM is not for you, unless you are working at a place like Los Alamos or Sandia. If one is retired and dont need to work or work part time to supplement retirement income its not bad.

I moved to Silver City, New Mexico a couple of years ago for retirement and I love it. Great scenery, great food, favorable climate, housing is cheaper and so are taxes compared to Arizona. Crime in my area is low and the people are friendly. Here in southwest NM, we lack many of the problems cited in the video.

I was stationed at Holloman AFB back in the mid seventies. After a year overseas, I returned to Alamogordo and packed up my uhaul and started out for the Univ of Tennessee. Got as far as Artesia and realized that I really liked the area and headed back. I enjoyed the desert and the mountains equally. So, enrolled at New Mexico State in Cruces and completed a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering. Great education that served me well. Live in Montana now, but just spent a month and half in Alamogordo as a snowbird. Pretty easy town, but I can understand why it might not be for everyone. But then, what place is. You can have Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

10. People think it is part of Mexico 9. People think it is too 'New' and want to wait a while until it works out any kinks 8. People can't find it on a map 7. People can't pronounce or spell Albukurke(sp?) and believe they would be embarrassed if they move there 6. That's where those space aliens landed, isn't it? 5. The only food is Mexican food and that gives some people indigestion 4. That's where all that nuclear testing was done. Don't go if you don't want to glow. 3. You're not allowed to live there if you don't have a security clearance, right? 2. They went to Chicago and tried to get there by driving on Route 66, but it stopped somewhere in Missouri 1. Didn't want to have to deal with Wiley Coyote's shenanigans trying to catch the Roadrunner.

As a Native American pueblo person, I just wanted to thank you for keeping all other destroyers of the earth and what it really means to be a human being. Y'all can just keep on driving through or go around my home state.

Reasons to move to NM: Skiing, the Balloon Festival, the Art Community, no light pollution.

I have lived in Albuquerque for 18 months now i have been visiting New Mexico since 2011. I love it here. I bought my place in 2016 as a rental in the Sandia Foothills as an investment property and now call it home. So the survey answers are kind of ignorant in cases. Want to send your kids to those better k-12 schools in those states Briggs mentioned? OK then, expect to pay way more in rent/mortgage/property taxes. NM has a higher minimum wage than the surrounding states as well. I make 6 figures in IT. Yep, those jobs do exist here in Albuquerque at least. Car insurance is cheaper than the last state I lived in, TX. I was a long term visitor there and I can say the state Briggs mentioned about better funded teachers being NJ. Yeah, enjoy those auto insurance rates. NM is a higher elevation than AZ. Some folks are less tolerable to its higher elevation. Crime is a where you live issue. No different than any other state. I can get super high speed internet in Albuquerque as well. Its a big state with many dead zones for sure but most of those dead zones are uninhabitable anyway. Urban/suburban roads are fine in more populated parts of the state. I can make arguments against many of the reasons mentioned as someone that lived in NJ, FL and TX before settling here. It is heaven for a middle aged single person like me.

I was traveling there recently. Someone described it as the Mississippi of the west. Poor and undereducated was their implication. I found the natural scenery phenomenal. The fact that much of the state is above 5,000 feet makes it cold in winter and pleasant in summer. Low housing prices were in evidence too. All this combined sets the state up for and influx of people. The crime likely isn’t bad in the smaller towns which is where the retirees will head. I’d go there in a heartbeat but I’m happy with my life as it is and I’m not likely to change at age 70+.

Thank you for this video, as someone who was born and raised in NY. I’ve also lived in OH, MI, TX, and NC I’m hoping this video keeps people from moving to NM. I absolutely love it here and hope it stays the way it is!!

I moved to New Mexico in my 50s, having lived previously in the Midwest, the Deep South, and the Pacific Northwest. Most of the items on your list make sense, except for one: Climate. The climate here is fantastic, *especially* if you compare it to Arizona. Arizona is far, far hotter and the effect of drought on water is going to be a much bigger problem in Arizona. You talked about critters in NM, but there bugs and snakes here are far less common than in Florida, where people are flocking to. It is true that NM is poor and undereducated, but if that keeps us from being overcrowded like Phoenix or Florida, I'm good with that.

Born and raised in NM. I’m almost 50. We have a poor education system, high crime rate, low wages and no higher job opportunities. Our politicians have a perpetual victimhood mentality. Yes it’s beautiful here, great weather too, but the people didn’t create that. Food is great but finding people to work in the service industry is very hard. Politics here is one party (left) and with that government handouts is top of the country. Once I retire I’m out.

2:14 I was born in Las Cruces, NM and just as I was entering elementary school, my parents moved the whole family to rural Pennsylvania. Once my youngest sibling graduated high school, my parents turned right back around and returned to NM. Apparently they liked it but not enough to screw up our education lol. Thanks, mom and dad! 😂

As a pueblo person keep up the good work we don't need city slickers moving in where they waste too much water

New Mexico magazine had a section called One of Our Fifty is Missing exposing the geographical ignorance and idiocy of most USA citizens, and foreign postal employees. Usually, it was funny but often disturbing as to how poorly educated most Americans are about this nation.

Have you been to New Mexico? It is beautiful state especially the northern sections. Amazing mountains and some first class snow skiing in Taos area. Three ski resorts withing 30 miles including Albuquerque. Food and Culture and churches alone are amazing. Santa Fe, Taos, Angel Fire and so many smaller towns with that are lovely. Of course you can find crappy things to say about every state. Summers in Arizona are far more brutal that NM. Most of NM is at an elevation of 5000 or higher. And, or course if you ask young people they will say there's nothing to do. Kids say that all the time in California, I have property in No NM and my stress level disappears when I visit. I will probably retire in NM. Cost of living is far below California.

I love New Mexico. It's so pretty here. I live in Albuquerque but plan on venturing to a more rural location. From what I've seen, a lot of people are moving to New Mexico for the same reasons I moved here.

I have lived here since 1983! 41 years. I love the Land of Enchantment!

It’s known as “The land of enchantment”. My friend moved there from NC. He calls it “The land of entrapment”

I’m originally from Kansas City and am currently STUCK in New Mexico by circumstances beyond my control. I CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK HOME!

NM is simply a poorly run state. My car insurance is ridiculous. However, having lived in ABQ for three years there's no other state as beautiful as this, and I've lived in many states. As an educator here, there's a disturbing disparity between really high achievers sharing classrooms with poor achieving students. Nevertheless, there is hope, it just depends on who the voters choose as the peeps they elect into office. There is where NM has some glimmer of light, hopefully.

The reasons you call negative are what I call Positive, and the reason we are in the process of moving there - (we have 40 days to close on our house in Dallas (a truly awful place)_ We're moving to an area in NM of only 7K pop_ I love the wide-open space and the fact that there's not someone everywhere you turn whether on foot, in town, or in a car on the road_ Low school funding keeps the property tax low_ We pay over $3K/Yr for house taxes in Dallas_ We're buying a bigger home in NM for a mere $300/Yr house taxes_ I see all these New Mexican plates pouring into Dallas (along with every other state) and I'm just shaking my head like 'you got to be kidding me - y'all are giving up a Dream for this Hell ? ' GREAT ! More room for me in NM ! Make way for true Patriots of the state of NM_ This Native Texan See's happiness as Texas in the rearview mirror on the highway to the cold Mountains of northern NM ! Can't wait to get my NM licence & plates and shed these Texas ones

Great content as always. I plan to move from Alabama to New Mexico once my elderly father passes on. I love it, it suits me perfectly since I don't really have to be concerned with most of the negatives you mention. I can understand why many people won't consider it, but for me, it's ideal. Of course, the crime rate is concerning, but like most places I think it depends on what area you live in. Plus, I tend to keep to myself. For me, personally, the good far outweighs the bad.

I moved to NM in 1991 from CA at the age of 24. Please don't move here we love our state being under populated.

New Mexico has such potential if it could get its act together on crime. Such a beautiful state with a crippling crime problem and a long history of being taken advantage of as a territory. The best thing the state has going for it is that it’s the last affordable state in the Rocky Mountains, and as more people get priced out of Colorado, Arizona, and Utah it’s bound to get an influx of people desperate for a place where they can afford to buy a house.

I just moved to Las cruces New Mexico from Orlando Florida. Life is slow ,dusty ,windy, and there is nowhere to shop. I will be going back to Florida in a few years.

Born and raised in NM. Lived other places but it's called the land of entrapment for a reason...family and culture and, no, you don't need to speak Spanish to fit in; just be respectful and kind and I've heard from many, many people that we are super kind and welcoming and I can attest to that. It really is a reasonable climate and a lot of outdoor opportunities but not so much for traditional entertainment. Crime and early education are the biggest problems here regardless of the area. Like the rest of the country, it's not THAT cheap to live here anymore so take that into consideration.

I been to New Mexico. It's nice to visit but it will be depressing to live there. Albuquerque reminds me of Tucson, Arizona.

I’m from just outside Las Cruces and (probably due to my extreme biases) it’s always felt extricated from the worst that NM has to offer. A lot of what brings NM down is from the more rural areas of the state and parts of Albuquerque mostly. Outside of maybe a lack of real well-paying jobs and mediocre education, I really haven’t experienced most of the things that my state fails at where in from. I’ve always loved it here personally. Even reading a lot of these comments, it seems to me like a lot of people forget the entire southern part of the state because it’s a bit different than the rest.

I've lived in NM my whole life. Born in Farmington, grew up in Cruces, have family in Roswell and currently live in Albuquerque. I can honestly say most of these things are true except the Spanish thing. You don't need to know Spanish at all to live here. I barely know any and I am half Mexican and my mom and her parents all speak Spanish fluently. I would say that the absolute worst problem here that was just touched on at THE VERY END of the video would most definitely be the drug problem. Las Cruces is one of if not the ONLY city in the USA that has no border checkpoints going into it, onlu going out of it. So once cartels or whoever gets their drugs inside the states, usually el paso, tx, then it's literally a straight shot to Las Cruces and you will literally drive past the other side of the checkpoint as you drive into town. Always wondered why such a huge oversight has gone unchecked for so so lonf

Grew up most my life in NM then moved to Los Angeles in my 30s. Moved back to Albuquerque 20 years later and the place has gone downhill compared to how it was when I left in 1991. The big standout is the crime rate. There are a lot of things I don't like about Los Angeles, but I felt safer there than I do in Albuquerque. In my 20 years in LA I was never the victim of any crime. In the 12 years I've been back in ABQ, I've had a trailer stolen, multiple vehicle break-ins, and multiple broken windows due to sheer vandalism. And I live in one of the better areas of town. Here in Albuquerque, if you've not had your car stolen, you will have at least one family member or close friend who has.

I was born and raised in NM in the 50s and 60s. It hasn’t changed much since then. About 40% are still on welfare. Thanks to the federal government, there will always be poverty in the one big city and surrounding areas. There are lots of ranches that account for a big portion of the state. I think it’s a beautiful place and the roads are mostly empty, unlike all the states around NM. There’s no need for any more colleges. I lived on the plains, desert. The elevation is 5000 feet in the flattest part of NM. The dry heat beats the humidity, as found in most other states. The climate hasn’t changed in 116 years, when my grandparents homesteaded there. My brother has been getting online for at least 30 years. 😂 There are many beautiful places in NM. It’s also an artist’s paradise!

I am native. I love my state for its beauty. I do miss trees that are leafy. The loss of elms is painful. Rockhounds love this state. Artists love it. Cowboys go broke. The balloon fiesta is beyond cool. TOLERANCE is admirable. You can't beat our food. People are laid back and courteous. religion is well established. OUR CULTURE is happiness. Horizons. Outdoor sports. You dont have to bleach your hair. Beef : It's what's for dinner. We love the fiesta, the tribal events. the rodeo. The art shows. CHILIES RED OR GREEN?

I've lived in Santa Fe for 20 years and love it. Glad most of the people move to Arizona, they can have them!

You'd have to assume everyone's looking for the same things. I'm retired and have visited The Land of Enchantment" many times. It is a very beautiful state and like anything else depends on the area. I prefer less people and wide open spaces. It's not one size fits all kinda state.😊

I moved to Albuquerque from Chicago a few years ago, and I’ve never felt unsafe here. While it doesn’t have as much to do, it’s cheap, the hiking is great, and the food is delicious.

Good. Anyone who has this many complaints about my beautiful home state, does not belong here. Either adapt to our environment or get the hell out. ❤🎉 I've never moved out of New Mexico, so it's all I've ever known.

The biggest crime here in nm is the grift. The politicians on every level pilfer all the money. That’s why the roads, schools, infrastructure, community and emergency services, and basically every persons attitude suuuuuuuuucks.

Blue State! Red state! Doesn't matter! Lack of education Equals Poverty & CRIME! Your parents education and your Zip code make a Big difference! I grew up in a Ruby Red state, BTW! (AZ)

I was born and raised in NM, and I've never learned to speak Spanish. I tried to learn. Oh, well. 39 years later, I'm managing living here speaking good old-fashioned American English.

I’ve only been through NM twice but completely agree, love the geography but could definitely tell and was warned about the crime rate.

New Mexico’s greatest draw is, “Hey we aren’t Louisiana and Mississippi. Come check us out.”

I vacation in New Mexico fairly often and what I can tell these reasons are valid. The quality of roads when crossing state lines is almost comical in a couple areas. I like New Mexico and I think Albuquerque is kinda fun to visit. Hopefully they can find ways to improve the state.

New Mexico is one of our most beautiful states. All 10 of those reasons for not wanting to live there can be summed up in bad governance. New Mexico is poorly governed.

Been there once or twice very briefly, and I liked what I saw.

Lived there for 30 years. So glad we finally escaped. I'm not a desert person to begin with but add in zero economic growth/opportunity (few jobs except retail and call centers), poorest education stats in the country, extreme poverty, very high violent crime (drugs, gangs, drive bys), and extreme drought. On the plus side...the food is good if you love red and green chili, there are almost no natural disasters of any kind and the weather is sunny year round. BTW... it doesn't matter how much they spend per student, they always rank at the bottom in test scores for all grades.

I have a friend that moved from high tax Illinois to low tax New Mexico when he retired. His reasoning was he wanted to spend his money having fun, not lining the pockets of politicians. The drawback he did share was low income often causes high crime.

New Mexico is a beautiful state with a great climate, but visiting and living there are two very different things. It’s just not great to live in New Mexico

Crime, drugs, poverty, corruption, decay, unemployment, more corruption. But y’know what? New Mexico remains one of my favorite states. NM is like a weird drifter cousin who drops by every few years with stories you aren’t sure really happened, but he relates them with such openheartedness you can’t help but listen. They are without any apparent moral teachings. He reaches into his pockets to reveal stunning gemstones, animal teeth, bits of shattered machinery, occult drawings on crumpled napkins. He finishes his beer and wanders off, softly singing a song in some language that might not exist. A beautiful woman thirty years younger is waiting for him in a rusty ElCamino. They’re off, to somewhere. That’s New Mexico.

Interesting culture, amazing food. Yes. Lots of natural beauty. I lived in Abq 15 years. Stay out of Abq. Like most all the cities nowadays, its going down the drain. But overall, N.M. is a unique, culturally rich and beautiful state. ❤

I've driven quite a bit through New Mexico, and I must say the state that takes the prize for having the worst roads is Oklahoma! 🏆

New Mexico was dependent on Federal government projects, contractors, and facilities for DECADES and made no efforts to attract other industries. When those facilities cutback or shutdown, there were very few options except to follow the jobs to where they moved or leave to find employment. The fact that the Federal government owns 34.7% of the state doesn't help either. The native American reservations are only 10.5% of the land in the state. Being the site of nuclear tests doesn't add any attraction.

I've lived in New Mexico most of my life. To everyone thinking of moving to New Mexico please don't we don't want anymore people coming to New Mexico

I spent some of my youth in NM and I love the scenic beauty of the state. Recently, I have considered returning there to live, but that notion ended in disappointment. While the cost of living is cheaper, the wages are lower and the tax rates are higher. I would definitely have to accept an unappealing step down in living standards in order to move there. The job market is also much smaller, so, even finding a job can be a challenge. But, I took the effort seriously and I even flew back to NM a few years ago to scope things out on the ground. I was shocked at the state of decay I found Albuquerque to be in. Very little growth and lots of dilapidation. My old neighborhood (which I have fond memories of) is now a rundown shell of what it used to be. I will always love New Mexico but I can also understand why its not attracting people.

I just recently moved to Las Vegas from Albuquerque. I lived in NM for 21 years. What’s really bad is the crime that happens in the middle of the day out in the open. The homeless problem is extremely bad in Albuquerque specifically. NM is a deep cesspool of corruption. Some positives the food is amazing lots of outdoor activities and if you want to work in the movie industry there are plenty of opportunities in NM. I drive a truck the roads in AZ are not much better.

Really apart from Albuquerque, it isn't as dangerous as people say. There is crime everywhere in America. Places like Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Silver City, Tucumcari, Los Alamos and Alamogordo are pretty safe places. You don't go into bad areas but that is like in every city. In Albuquerque you do have to be on guard and like you don't want to have a U-Haul and leave it in a hotel parking lot because more than likely it won't be there when you get up, that kind of thing. But New Mexico has some great people. There are a few rotten ones who usually are involved in addictions and they are the cause of most of the crimes. The Native Americans are a great wonderful people. I have many friends of Native Americans. Most are kind and have good hearts. The Latino population also are great in New Mexico. They are friendly and warmhearted. The food is amazing and you'll end up eating green or red chile on about everything from your eggs to your hamburgers. Blake's Lotaburger throughout New Mexico has some of the best hamburgers in the world and add the Hatch green chile on it, oh man is it good! The main thing is if you move there, have a humble heart and not be rude or think you are better than everyone. They don't take kindly to stuck up rude people. Be friendly and you'll be fine.

Almost half of New Mexican's are on Medicaid/Welfare here too. It is an awesome place to live if you aren't in the cities; Albuquerque, Santa fe and Las Cruces have high crime rates and nothing but laws to protect the offenders!

I grew up in Albuquerque and got out of there as fast as I could! 😂 not sure how I even graduated high school…I barely showed up!

I broke down in the middle of the night outside ALB. Was walking to a gas station....a local hispanic or Native American guy wearing a cowboy hat, picked me up, took me to a pay phone so I could call a tow truck and then used the phone to call his boss to tell him he'd be a little late for work. To this day one of the coolest guys I'd ever met...since I would never do it myself. The field mice were EVERYWHERE that night....I'd see them run around my feet when passing cars would light up my path on the freeway. Glad I got a ride.

As for someone who has lived on the East, West & Gulf Coasts...I'm thrilled to be here & never plan to leave again!

Those of us born here and raised here love many things about it, slow paced of living, low costs, culture among other things. We actually do not want outsiders moving in permanently and mucking things up to make it like the states they ran away from. Outsiders also drive up the cost of living and inflate housing and other costs. The area is not meant to sustain a large population, we are a rural state, just look at how AZ struggles to keep its high population supplied with water (larger cities siphoning off of rural areas and its river system). Not all of us speak Spanish and it is not needed, it just weeds out who is not from here, based on accent and dialect, we also don't need to compare education systems to other states since culture and necessity differs in all areas. We do not need a high average hourly wage if the cost of living is low.

I moved to New Mexico (Las Cruces) in Junior high. Grew up in Montana. Major culture shock. Left Cruces after high school, and a few years at NMSU. Moved to New York City at 19. Another culture shock. Ended up in Minnesota currently. I very much miss NM. Love love the Spanish culture the food😊 and the wide open spaces. I talk about retiring to T or C 😊 I think for all the things that are mentioned in the vid. there is a lot of beauty in that state. Go Aggies!

NM educator here. I get paid VERY well. Our education will never change until parents are held accountable for sending their kids to school and making their children's education a priority. We have excellent educators in NM because of our high pay compared to the rest of the US. Roads aren't the main reason we have such high car (and home) insurance. It's because we are paying for OTHER uninsured people. We have high crime because of the bail reform and no one is held accountable. We are on our way out of this state.

Hi, I just moved from NM on June 11th, 2023. I taught high school on the Navajo reservation for 5 years. I agree with 9 of your statements about NM except how expensive car insurance is there. I moved back to my home state of Texas and my car insurance more than doubled. I was paying $74 monthly for car insurance and am now paying $157 per month for car insurance. I enjoyed living there for 5 years but did not want to retire there. It is a gorgeous state but for me the friendliest people are Texans. I have lived in 5 states in my life and I stand by my opinion that Texans are the friendliest! Thanks! Elizabeth Clark Goodrich, Texas

Living here, I thought my rates went up (from NJ!) because of the high car parts theft & car thefts. Come for the green chile, stay because your car was stolen.

Thanks for your evaluation. I hope it will keep people from moving here. We don't want a lot of people moving in . Thank you again.

New Mexico is not for everyone but I love it I love the fact that is not as populated as other states you can feel it on the air I think is the cleanest state of all but like I said is not for everyone

Thank you for showing me why new mexico is the invisible state. I think that maybe someone should do a state by state expose on housing. Who has the most speculator owned housing, ways around mortgages like owner carries and HUD stats for each state. Az has had 16,000 tax default auctions making homelessness a damned big deal. Looking to move from Nevada to stay alive as a retired senior. Do a series for helping the poor survive.

I moved from N.M to Colorado in 1979. I eventually plan on retiring in N.M. every time i visit i asolutely love the State. I love traveling with minimal traffic.

I lived in Albuquerque from 1986 to 1988. I had a good job, but could not stand the place. Snakes, spiders and scorpions everywhere. You had to look under your vehicle every time you approached it to avoid getting snake bit or stung by a scorpion. The work ethic of most people there was severely lacking. Finding a decent mechanic was almost impossible. It was hot there back then just like now. Nothing new with that. Parks were poorly built and rarely maintained. The roads were awful. Crime terrible. Car thefts were common place. Everything was made poorly. Building codes were not followed or enforced. It was almost like living in a third world country. I got out of there as soon as I could and never went back.

Was in a cigar bar in Albuquerque years ago talking with an inebriated police chief and his also inebriated wife, he was telling me all about the massive crime issues in the area. His phone rings, his daughter called to tell him someone was breaking into their house- kicking the front door in. His response- shoot the guy then call the cops. He was too drunk to drive over. I scratched Albuquerque off my retirement list........

I had a buddy who recently moved his family from New Mexico to Colorado because of the lack of access to education as well as the quality of education in New Mexico. Sad because they really liked New Mexico but education was a deal breaker.

I live in southern Colorado. I go on vacation in New Mexico several times a year. Easier to visit than to move there.

I lived in new Mexico for a few years, it's a beautiful state and I loved it. I left because Idaho started transporting and burying their nuclear waste in new Mexico. Idaho generates the waste then uses beautiful New Mexico as their dumping ground. They don't want to pollute their state but have no problem polluting someone elses state. I considered this a betrayal by the New Mexico government. Many people in New Mexico don't even know this is going on.

I gotta think part of it is its remoteness. Arizona has Southern California right next door, and I believe it had more military and production presence in WW2. A lot of veterans moved to AZ after the war, and during the 1950s polio epidemic a lot of survivors moved there for the warm dry air. New Mexico is miles from anywhere, and never had a sufficient population to become a draw.

My cousin, who was retired, moved from Florida to Alamogordo two and a half years ago. He wanted to be near one of his sons and grandchildren. He hated it there. The son works all the time and the kids, who are very young, didn’t seem to like him. The weather was mostly was had with some cold snaps in winter. He wanted to move back to FL abut couldn’t afford it. He passed away after suffering from long Covid instead.

I love New Mexico. I know it has some issues but I would move there in a heartbeat. Beautiful landscape and not too many people. I'm so damn sick of Atlanta.

A few side notes: 1. Devil's Highway also extended into Arizona, and had that nickname because originally, it was Route 666. It was renamed Rt. 491, in the year 2003. Historically, it did have a lot of traffic fatalities, but see the next point to find out why. 2. There are a lot of traffic accidents in NM, but the main reason for that is DUIs. Devil's Highway/Rt 491, in the Four Corners area, goes through Native American Reservation territory, where there is a high percentage of alcoholism. Although, high numbers of DUI related traffic accidents plague the entire state. I moved here from Arizona, 2yrs ago, and my car insurance is less than half what of what it was in AZ. Although, I must say that people here do not pay attention while driving, and appear to think they are the only vehicle on the road. Oh, but if you try to exceed the speed limit even a little, they will catch you, and you will pay an exorbitant fine. Just fyi. 3. The only reason it appears that home prices are lower in averaging calculations, is because of the Reservations and the poverty level at which a lot of people live. Your average family home is just as expensive here as anywhere else, and in the most popular and populated cities, the cost of a home has skyrocketed, just like everywhere else. Another factor increasing home price is that a lot of Californians either move here as their primary residence or purchase second homes here. 4. The cost of living here for daily expenses, in certain areas, is just as high or higher than the rest of the country. Since moving here, I spend double on food compared to AZ. 5. Cell phone service in the state is abysmal, and if you're traveling in a rural area, there may not be any service at all. 6. There's no excuse for the poor road conditions. NM, at one time, had a surplus of funds in their coffers. And back in the 90s (I think), they started building a bridge with those excess funds, which they never finished. It was dubbed, The Bridge To Nowhere. 7. Even though NM has a lot of oil and gas and refining industry activity, our gas prices are higher compared to surrounding states. Figure that one out. 8. I feel less safe in the Four Corners area of NM, than I did in Southern Arizona. Alcohol and drugs, fuel a lot of the violent crime here.