Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to New Mexico

You think about moving to New Mexico but want to get additional information about the state, climate, safety, income levels, job market, entertainment options, living costs, housing and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in New Mexico in the following chapters.

Living in New Mexico – Overview

Advantages of Living in New Mexico

1. Living costs in New Mexico are pretty low
2. Property prices in New Mexico are still affordable for the general public
3. Rents are pretty low compared to the US average
4. The average person in New Mexico is still able to buy a decent home
5. Getting a mortgage is rather easy for many people in New Mexico
6. More than enough housing options in New Mexico
7. Housing shortage is not a big deal in most parts of New Mexico
8. Low overall financial pressure for people moving to New Mexico
9. You don’t have to make great money to afford a decent lifestyle
10. It is not all about money in the New Mexico region
11. People in New Mexico can enjoy great summers
12. Mild winters are attractive to many people living in New Mexico
13. New Mexico is a rather relaxed state
14. Low population density in New Mexico
15. New Mexico is not a crowded place
16. You find many recreational spaces to relax in New Mexico
17. New Mexico is a pretty tolerant place
18. Many people are willing to help you out in New Mexico
19. Many people in New Mexico are honest and real
20. You can make many friends for a lifetime in New Mexico
21. Many different cultural influences in New Mexico
22. You can try many delicious foods in New Mexico
23. New Mexico may be a great place to retire
24. New Mexico may be an interesting place for students
25. Traffic is not a big problem in New Mexico
26. Finding a parking lot in New Mexico is pretty easy
27. New Mexico is a pretty big state
28. You can make many nice day trips in New Mexico
29. The big cities of New Mexico are accessible by plane
30. Many people in New Mexico can save enough for retirement
31. You may be able to afford good health insurance in New Mexico
32. You can have many interesting conversations with people in New Mexico
33. Great weather allows you to spend lots of time outdoors
34. You can go fishing, hiking, camping and do many other nature activities
35. Many free things to do in the New Mexico region
36. You may find solid education in the big cities of New Mexico
37. Decent air quality in most regions of New Mexico
38. You may be able to live a pretty original life in New Mexico
39. People in New Mexico may be able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle
40. New Mexico may still be underrated

Living costs in New Mexico are pretty low

One advantage of moving to New Mexico is that you can benefit from pretty low living costs and this means you don’t have to spend as much money on drinks and many other nice things of daily life compared to people moving to California and other much more expensive regions so you will be able to afford much more for the same budget in New Mexico.

Property prices in New Mexico are still affordable for the general public

You should also know that property prices in New Mexico are at a pretty low level and this means you can buy a decent home without having to overextend yourself while this would be much harder for people moving to Seattle or other much more expensive regions where property prices are much higher and many people struggle paying off their mortgages in time.

Rents are pretty low compared to the US average

Not only property prices are still reasonably low but also rents are still affordable for the general public in most parts of New Mexico and this means you don’t have to spend a high fraction of your income on housing but will have more money left to spend on other nice things.

The average person in New Mexico is still able to buy a decent home

Thanks to rather low property prices, the average person in New Mexico can still afford to buy a decent home while this will no longer be true in much more expensive regions where the middle class vanishes slowly but surely and people with an average salary have to rent instead of buy since buying would simply be far too expensive for them.

Getting a mortgage is rather easy for many people in New Mexico

Since property prices in New Mexico are pretty low, you will also have a rather easy time saving enough equity for buying a home and getting a mortgage will also be rather easy since your monthly mortgage rates will be rather low and banks will often trust you to be able to pay off your mortgage in a reliable manner.

More than enough housing options in New Mexico

No matter whether you search for a single flat or a home for a big family, you will also not run out of housing options in most parts of New Mexico and can find a decent place to stay rather quickly while people moving to L.A. or other much more popular regions often have to search for many months in this regard.

Housing shortage is not a big deal in most parts of New Mexico

You should also know that housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of New Mexico yet and even in case you get evicted, chances are you will still find a new place to stay rather quickly while this would often be much harder in many other regions where overall competition in the housing market would often be much fiercer.

Low overall financial pressure for people moving to New Mexico

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for people living in New Mexico is rather limited and you may therefore don’t have to worry about money as much as people in many other much more expensive regions and may be better able to enjoy the nice things of life.

You don’t have to make great money to afford a decent lifestyle

Since housing and living costs are still reasonably low, you also don’t have to make a six-figure income just to survive as in many other quite expensive regions but you will still be able to afford a decent lifestyle in New Mexico with an average income and may therefore also not have to work as many extra hours as people in many other more expensive states.

It is not all about money in the New Mexico region

In general, it is just not all about the money in most parts of New Mexico and even if you don’t make good money from your job and can’t afford many nice things, you can still have a great time in this region since people will often care more about your character than about what you own while your financial state may matter much more in other fancier regions.

People in New Mexico can enjoy great summers

Another upside to moving to New Mexico is that you can also enjoy sunny and dry summers and can therefore get tanned and also get into a pretty good mood in general while people in rainier regions may simply not have this luxury.

Mild winters are attractive to many people living in New Mexico

Not only summers are great but also winters in New Mexico are rather mild and if you are the type of person who can’t stand cold weather at all, moving to New Mexico may make quite a lot of sense for you since it will be rather warm even during winter months while people moving to Colorado or other colder regions may have to deal with cold weather much more often.

New Mexico is a rather relaxed state

You should also keep in mind that New Mexico is also a pretty relaxed state where people are often less career-focused than in many other regions and will take more time to get into conversations with you so you can get to know many interesting people from all over the world in a playful manner.

Low population density in New Mexico

Another benefit of moving to New Mexico is that population density is fairly low and you will therefore have more than enough space for yourself in public and will also find enough places to hang out on your own during times you just need time for yourself and don’t want to get distracted by others.

New Mexico is not a crowded place

In general, New Mexico is also not the most crowded place since it doesn’t attract as many tourists as many other more popular places and this means you will rarely run into large groups of people and may be able to get from A to B in a much more efficient manner than in other regions.

You find many recreational spaces to relax in New Mexico

You will also find many parks and other green spaces in many big cities of New Mexico and this can be great since it allows you to relax and reload your batteries after work or during lunch break so you can stay emotionally balanced and perform well in your professional and private life in the long run.

New Mexico is a pretty tolerant place

Since New Mexico is a pretty tolerant state, you also don’t have to worry about your background at all and will be welcome no matter from what part of the world you come from and can have a great time with other people with different backgrounds and lifestyles.

Many people are willing to help you out in New Mexico

Another advantage of living in New Mexico is that you will also meet many great guys and gals who will be willing to help you out during your first weeks or months in your new home when everything may look unfamiliar to you and you may need some assistance to get connected with locals in this region.

Many people in New Mexico are honest and real

You should also know that many people in New Mexico have a pretty honest nature and while this honesty may shock you at first, it can still be great in the long run since you will really learn to trust those people and can also grow emotionally since you can work on your weaknesses and become a stronger person.

You can make many friends for a lifetime in New Mexico

You will also be able to really rely on many people in New Mexico and some of your social connections will turn into really good friends in the long run who will support you even during difficult parts of your life when you need emotional assistance to overcome your struggles and to carry on with your life.

Many different cultural influences in New Mexico

Another upside to living in New Mexico is that you will also be able to experience many different cultural influences and can also meet people living many different and alternative lifestyles and can therefore learn quite a lot for your own life and may be able to adapt some helpful characteristics into your life as well.

You can try many delicious foods in New Mexico

Thanks to the high level of cultural diversity in the big cities of New Mexico, you are also able to try many delicious foods from all over the world and this can not only make your life much more interesting and enjoyable but may also give you some inspiration regarding what you may want to cook at home.

New Mexico may be a great place to retire

Since living and housing costs are fairly low and you can still enjoy nice nature and many nice things in the big cities, New Mexico may also be an interesting place to retire for people who don’t receive a high pension but still want to live the last chapter of their lives in a decent manner without having to worry about money all the time.

New Mexico may be an interesting place for students

New Mexico can not only be a great place for the older generation but it may also be a secret spot for students since you may find solid colleges in the biggest cities while living costs are fairly low and you may therefore not have to spend as much money on your degree compared to people studying in NYC or other much more expensive regions.

Traffic is not a big problem in New Mexico

Another benefit of moving to New Mexico is that traffic is not a big deal in most regions yet.

In fact, most people are able to get around by car without getting stuck in traffic jams while people moving to Chicago or other much more crowded regions often have to deal with traffic issues on a regular basis during rush hour.

Finding a parking lot in New Mexico is pretty easy

Since streets are not as crowded as in many other states of the US, also finding a parking lot is pretty easy in most parts of New Mexico and you therefore don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

New Mexico is a pretty big state

You should also be aware of the fact that New Mexico is also a pretty big state and this means there are so many nice things to explore and even in case you get bored at home, chances are you will be able to explore the surrounding nature and may see lots of exciting stuff.

You can make many nice day trips in New Mexico

Since there are many exciting things to do in New Mexico nature, you can also make many nice day trips with your loved ones and can not only have a great time but can also show your kids why it is so important to protect our environment as best as possible so they can turn into responsible grownups and may be able to make a positive impact for our planet as well.

The big cities of New Mexico are accessible by plane

You will also have a rather easy time getting to the biggest cities of New Mexico since many of them have a solid airport and you can therefore travel to other parts of the US or even the world in an efficient manner and your family and friends will also have a rather easy time visiting you in the urban parts of the state.

Many people in New Mexico can save enough for retirement

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, you may also be able to save enough money for retirement and may not have to worry about old-age poverty as much as people in other more expensive regions who are barely able to survive and may not be able to save a penny from their salary.

You may be able to afford good health insurance in New Mexico

Since you may not have to spend lots of money on housing, you may also have enough money left to get really good health insurance and in case of medical emergency, you may be able to get the best medical treatment and may be able to recover from your health condition as quickly as possible.

You can have many interesting conversations with people in New Mexico

Thanks to high levels of cultural diversity in many parts of New Mexico, you will also be able to have many interesting conversations with people from many different regions and by talking to those people, you can learn a lot about the world and may also get a more comprehensive picture of reality.

Great weather allows you to spend lots of time outdoors

Since it is pretty warm and sunny in New Mexico most of the year, you will also have an incentive to spend lots of time outdoors and this enables you to get lots of oxygen so your body and your brain can work properly and you may also be able to get into a much better mood compared to people just sitting indoors all day long.

You can go fishing, hiking, camping and do many other nature activities

Since you will find nice mountains and rivers, you can also go fishing, hiking and do many other nice things in nature and this can not only be pretty exciting but you may also be able to relax from your stressful life quite a lot and may be able to stay emotionally balanced in the long run.

Many free things to do in the New Mexico region

Since you can do so many nice things outdoors, you can also go rock climbing, swimming and do many other free things in nature so you may not need a really big budget to afford a decent lifestyle in New Mexico.

You may find solid education in the big cities of New Mexico

As long as you move to one of the biggest cities of New Mexico, you will also find some solid schools and colleges and can make sure that your kids get proper education so they will have decent chances of finding a good job later on.

Decent air quality in most regions of New Mexico

In many parts of New Mexico, you will also have pretty good air quality and this can not only help you stay fit but may also reduce your risk of suffering from serious health conditions in the long run.

You may be able to live a pretty original life in New Mexico

Since some regions in New Mexico are still pretty traditional, you may also be able to experience the classic American way of life in many regions and may be able to live like our ancestors did way ago and you may also be able to preserve some valuable knowledge due to that.

People in New Mexico may be able to live a self-sufficient lifestyle

Since you can buy a large piece of land at a rather affordable price in many rural regions of New Mexico, you may also be able to live a self-sufficient life by growing your own crops, raising farm animals and becoming independent of classical stores in the long run.

New Mexico may still be underrated

Since new Mexico offers many nice things at a rather affordable place, it may be considered an underrated state and by moving to New Mexico right now, you may be able to enjoy many nice things that would cost much more in many other more expensive states.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to New Mexico.

Yet, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in New Mexico so you will be better able to decide whether you want to move to New Mexico or rather want to live in Illinois or other interesting places instead.

Disadvantages of Living in New Mexico

1. New Mexico is a pretty hot place
2. New Mexico doesn’t have a coastline
3. Nature in New Mexico may not be as beautiful as in many other states
4. Not many big cities in New Mexico
5. Hard to find good education in the rural parts of New Mexico
6. Selection of good doctors and hospitals may be rather limited
7. Internet connection is not great in many remote parts of New Mexico
8. Road conditions are rather poor in many regions of New Mexico
9. Poor public transport in most areas of New Mexico
10. Not many great sports teams in New Mexico
11. Rather limited entertainment options in many parts of New Mexico
12. You may get bored with your life in New Mexico sooner or later
13. New Mexico may not be the most popular state
14. High crime rates in New Mexico
15. Unemployment is a serious problem in New Mexico
16. Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding decent jobs
17. Low income level in New Mexico
18. Hard to get rich in the New Mexico region
19. New Mexico may not attract many talented and ambitious people
20. Hard to build a strong business network in New Mexico
21. Not many really big corporations to work for in New Mexico
22. Nightlife may not be great in the rural parts of New Mexico
23. Natural disasters may become more common in New Mexico
24. Costs of homeowners insurance will likely go up
25. Hard to find great art scenes in many parts of New Mexico
26. New Mexico has to deal with many social problems
27. Hard to get to the remote parts of New Mexico
28. Distances in New Mexico are often pretty long
29. It may take you quite a long time to manage your life in New Mexico
30. New Mexico is not the most tenant-friendly state
31. Rather questionable outlook for New Mexico

New Mexico is a pretty hot place

One downside to living in New Mexico is that it is a rather hot place and you will have warm weather conditions all year long.

While some people like this kind of climate, others just want to have more climatic diversity and real seasons and if you belong to the second group of people, you may be better off moving to Maine or other colder regions instead.

New Mexico doesn’t have a coastline

You should also be aware of the fact that New Mexico doesn’t have a coastline and you will therefore not have the luxury of going surfing or relaxing at the beach on a regular basis as people moving to San Diego or other coastal regions can do on a regular basis and your overall quality of life may be much lower.

Nature in New Mexico may not be as beautiful as in many other states

While there are some interesting places to see in New Mexico nature, nature may still not be as beautiful as in many other states since many regions of New Mexico are just characterized by desert-like environments and you may not find many beautiful forests and other nice things in this region.

Not many big cities in New Mexico

Another problem with living in New Mexico is that apart from Albuquerque, there are just not many other big cities and if you love big city life, you may just not get happy in New Mexico and may rather want to move to Houston or other big metropolitan regions.

Hard to find good education in the rural parts of New Mexico

While you may find solid education in the big cities of New Mexico, it is still hard to find good schools and colleges in the rural parts and you may therefore have to drive long hours to bring your kids to and pick your kids up from school which may become really annoying and exhausting in the long run.

Selection of good doctors and hospitals may be rather limited

You may also not find many great doctors or hospitals in most rural regions of New Mexico and in case you need urgent medical treatment, you may not find this sort of treatment in time and may even lose your life in case you are really unlucky.

Internet connection is not great in many remote parts of New Mexico

Another disadvantage of living in New Mexico is that internet connection is not great in many remote regions and you may therefore not be able to make video calls with your loved ones and working from home may also not be possible without stable internet so you may miss out on many amenities by moving to one of those regions.

Road conditions are rather poor in many regions of New Mexico

You should also know that road conditions are not great in most parts of New Mexico and driving a car over long distances may cost you lots of nerves and may just not be comfortable.

Poor public transport in most areas of New Mexico

Before moving to New Mexico, you should also know that public transport is not great in most regions and in case you are not able to drive a car due to various possible reasons, you may just get stuck in your district and may not be mobile enough to manage your life in an efficient manner.

Not many great sports teams in New Mexico

Another downside to moving to New Mexico is that you will also not find many really great sports teams and in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games live in person at the highest level, you may be better off moving to NYC or other places where you will find more opportunities in this regard.

Rather limited entertainment options in many parts of New Mexico

While you may find enough entertainment options in the big cities of New Mexico, you may not find really great things to do in the rural regions and in case you are a young person who really wants to explore himself or herself, you may not get happy in this region in the long run.

You may get bored with your life in New Mexico sooner or later

Since there may not be as many exciting things to do in many regions of New Mexico as in other states, you may also get bored with the New Mexico lifestyle sooner or later in case you need action 24/7 and adrenaline on a regular basis.

New Mexico may not be the most popular state

You should also know that New Mexico is also not the most popular state and your loved ones may therefore not understand your decision of moving to New Mexico and you may have to explain yourself quite a lot and may have to convince your family and friends that this is a good idea indeed.

High crime rates in New Mexico

Another problem with moving to New Mexico is that crime rates are pretty high in many regions and your loved ones may therefore often have to worry about your well-being and you may also not be able to provide a safe environment for your kids to grow up in.

Unemployment is a serious problem in New Mexico

You should also not forget that unemployment rate in New Mexico is above the US average and you may often have to worry about losing your job in this region.

Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding decent jobs

Especially in case you don’t have proper education, you may have a pretty hard time finding a decent job in New Mexico and may have to work several low-wage jobs just to survive.

Low income level in New Mexico

You should also know that the overall income level in New Mexico is pretty low and you may have a hard time making good money as an employee while people living in Oakland or many other regions will be able to make far more money from what they are doing.

Hard to get rich in the New Mexico region

Since income levels are pretty low, it is also hard to get wealthy or even rich in New Mexico and if your goal is to make as much money as possible, you may be better off moving to a different region.

New Mexico may not attract many talented and ambitious people

Another disadvantage of moving to New Mexico is that the state also may not attract as many ambitious and talented people as many other regions and you may therefore not be able to compete with the best of the best and may also not be able to learn a lot from those smart characters.

Hard to build a strong business network in New Mexico

Due to high unemployment rates and many really talented people may be leaving this region sooner or later, you may also have a really hard time building a strong business network and it may therefore be harder for you to climb the corporate ladder in New Mexico as it would be in other stronger economic regions.

Not many really big corporations to work for in New Mexico

You should also know that outside of the biggest cities, there are just not many big corporations to work for and if your goal is to start a fancy career in the corporate world, you may be better off trying your luck in a region where the economy is more robust.

Nightlife may not be great in the rural parts of New Mexico

You should also not expect to find great nightlife in many regions of New Mexico and if you are a party person who needs action all night long, you may be better off moving to Vegas or other more vibrant places.

Natural disasters may become more common in New Mexico

Due to climate change, natural disasters in New Mexico may also become more common in the future and if you are unlucky, you may not only lose your home but even your life during one of those extreme events.

Costs of homeowners insurance will likely go up

Since natural disasters will become more likely in the future, also costs of homeowners insurance will likely go up in New Mexico in the long run which may make living in New Mexico much more expensive.

Hard to find great art scenes in many parts of New Mexico

While you may find some decent artists in the big cities of New Mexico, you may still have trouble finding a great art scene in the rural parts of the state and may not be able to hang out with as many like-minded people as you might have hoped for.

New Mexico has to deal with many social problems

Since unemployment and crime rates are pretty high, New Mexico also has to deal with many social problems and high levels of poverty and you may therefore see many rather sad situations and may even get involved in serious incidents yourself sooner or later.

Hard to get to the remote parts of New Mexico

Since street conditions are rather poor and the rural regions of New Mexico are often not well-connected to the world, you may also have trouble visiting friends in those rural areas and it may take you quite a long time to get there and back.

Distances in New Mexico are often pretty long

You should also know that New Mexico is a pretty big state and distances are rather long and in case you live in a rather rural region, you may have to drive many miles to get important things you need for daily life.

It may take you quite a long time to manage your life in New Mexico

Since distances are pretty long in the rural parts of New Mexico, managing your private and professional life in those regions may also become a real challenge and you may just not be able to live your life in those places in the same efficient manner as many other people in big urban regions are able to do.

New Mexico is not the most tenant-friendly state

Moving to New Mexico may also not be great for you in case you don’t want to buy a home but rather want to rent for a long period of time since it is just not a tenant-friendly place and you may have to deal with huge rent hikes and eviction sooner or later.

Rather questionable outlook for New Mexico

Due to high unemployment and crime rates and the many social problems New Mexico has to deal with, also its outlook is rather questionable and overall quality of life may drop significantly in the future.

Top 10 Moving To New Mexico Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is New Mexico A Good Place To Live?

While New Mexico can be a great place to live since housing and living costs are pretty low and you can enjoy warm summers and mild winters, you should still know that unemployment and crime rates are pretty high and the future outlook for New Mexico may be rather unclear due to many social problems.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to New Mexico by yourself so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In New Mexico – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to New Mexico, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Nebraska

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Nevada

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Jersey

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NM

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.