Most Americans have never been to small town New Mexico. However, as the New Mexican who live there know, small town New Mexico is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, New Mexico has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Land Of Enchantment. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 96 of New Mexico’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in New Mexico where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in New Mexico for 2024:
- Alamo
- Thoreau
- San Felipe Pueblo
- Navajo
- Upper Fruitland
- Church Rock
- Crownpoint
- Columbus
- Keeler Farm
- Estancia
So what is the worst small town to call home in New Mexico for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Alamo is the worst small town to live in New Mexico.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Alamo home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in New Mexico or the worst places to live in New Mexico.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Mexico For 2024
1. Alamo
Population: 1,081
Median Home Value: $13,565
Median Income: $24,118
Unemployment Rate: 22.5%
2. Thoreau
/10
Population: 2,361
Median Home Value: $68,783
Median Income: $30,125
Unemployment Rate: 18.2%
3. San Felipe Pueblo
/10
Population: 1,430
Median Home Value: $326,414
Median Income: $33,000
Unemployment Rate: 24.0%
4. Navajo
/10
Population: 2,071
Median Home Value: $68,918
Median Income: $28,160
Unemployment Rate: 19.3%
5. Upper Fruitland
/10
Population: 1,533
Median Home Value: $115,723
Median Income: $38,125
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%
6. Church Rock
/10
Population: 1,395
Median Home Value: $45,855
Median Income: $31,875
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%
7. Crownpoint
/10
Population: 2,823
Median Home Value: $82,621
Median Income: $35,362
Unemployment Rate: 12.8%
8. Columbus
/10
Population: 1,281
Median Home Value: $104,463
Median Income: $26,549
Unemployment Rate: 13.7%
9. Keeler Farm
/10
Population: 1,716
Median Home Value: $167,684
Median Income: $49,231
Unemployment Rate: 21.3%
10. Estancia
/10
Population: 1,591
Median Home Value: $200,449
Median Income: $32,286
Unemployment Rate: 34.9%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in New Mexico is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in New Mexico, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 96 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in New Mexico.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In New Mexico
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Land Of Enchantment with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in New Mexico are Alamo, Thoreau, San Felipe Pueblo, Navajo, Upper Fruitland, Church Rock, Crownpoint, Columbus, Keeler Farm, and Estancia.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in New Mexico, according to science:
- Placitas CDP (Sandoval County) (Pop. 4,066)
- La Huerta (Pop. 1,274)
- Sandia Heights (Pop. 3,205)
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In New Mexico
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alamo | 1,081 | 22.5% | $13,565 | $24,118 |
| 2 | Thoreau | 2,361 | 18.2% | $68,783 | $30,125 |
| 3 | San Felipe Pueblo | 1,430 | 24.0% | $326,414 | $33,000 |
| 4 | Navajo | 2,071 | 19.3% | $68,918 | $28,160 |
| 5 | Upper Fruitland | 1,533 | 10.3% | $115,723 | $38,125 |
| 6 | Church Rock | 1,395 | 7.3% | $45,855 | $31,875 |
| 7 | Crownpoint | 2,823 | 12.8% | $82,621 | $35,362 |
| 8 | Columbus | 1,281 | 13.7% | $104,463 | $26,549 |
| 9 | Keeler Farm | 1,716 | 21.3% | $167,684 | $49,231 |
| 10 | Estancia | 1,591 | 34.9% | $200,449 | $32,286 |
| 11 | Meadow Lake | 4,745 | 10.4% | $116,130 | $36,525 |
| 12 | El Cerro Mission | 4,999 | 15.9% | $117,080 | $45,264 |
| 13 | Milan | 2,375 | 17.4% | $63,627 | $36,433 |
| 14 | Paraje | 1,362 | 0.0% | $54,809 | $28,942 |
| 15 | Berino | 1,250 | 9.9% | $123,049 | $26,477 |
| 16 | Hatch | 1,673 | 20.1% | $151,675 | $42,917 |
| 17 | Jal | 2,258 | 13.9% | $109,911 | $56,731 |
| 18 | Moriarty | 2,154 | 18.6% | $217,455 | $33,026 |
| 19 | Black Rock | 1,259 | 11.4% | $128,340 | $45,714 |
| 20 | Carrizozo | 1,035 | 8.2% | $143,141 | $27,829 |
| 21 | Clayton | 2,825 | 8.8% | $96,609 | $33,239 |
| 22 | Taos Pueblo | 1,422 | 14.1% | $418,667 | $36,597 |
| 23 | La Plata | 2,063 | 8.5% | $270,608 | $53,056 |
| 24 | Lordsburg | 2,114 | 5.2% | $103,785 | $37,240 |
| 25 | Mountainair | 1,071 | 11.0% | $151,472 | $38,482 |
| 26 | Radium Springs | 1,657 | 13.9% | $154,524 | $41,750 |
| 27 | Dexter | 1,025 | 9.6% | $105,650 | $48,750 |
| 28 | University Park | 2,744 | 22.1% | $0 | $23,375 |
| 29 | Dulce | 2,261 | 19.1% | $76,923 | $41,250 |
| 30 | Vado | 3,386 | 6.5% | $247,222 | $46,380 |
| 31 | La Luz | 1,858 | 40.6% | $252,598 | $41,467 |
| 32 | Lee Acres | 4,858 | 22.3% | $214,896 | $44,850 |
| 33 | Ruidoso Downs | 2,635 | 2.0% | $216,126 | $28,939 |
| 34 | San Rafael | 2,322 | 6.0% | $139,194 | $77,903 |
| 35 | Indian Hills | 1,197 | 19.4% | $216,388 | $57,431 |
| 36 | Tularosa | 2,590 | 21.3% | $151,236 | $47,234 |
| 37 | Dixon | 1,049 | 0.0% | $389,363 | $33,674 |
| 38 | Skyline-Ganipa | 1,132 | 5.3% | $96,459 | $62,895 |
| 39 | Mesita | 1,270 | 5.6% | $52,910 | $49,719 |
| 40 | Algodones | 1,063 | 6.4% | $363,313 | $40,500 |
| 41 | Fort Sumner | 1,206 | 10.0% | $90,978 | $1,000 |
| 42 | Santa Clara | 1,744 | 5.6% | $90,318 | $46,078 |
| 43 | Santa Rosa | 2,741 | 7.9% | $148,555 | $41,250 |
| 44 | Jarales | 1,690 | 11.4% | $132,139 | $50,673 |
| 45 | Santa Ana Pueblo | 1,006 | 4.8% | $183,557 | $59,318 |
| 46 | Waterflow | 1,325 | 8.4% | $199,157 | $58,309 |
| 47 | Santo Domingo Pueblo | 2,021 | 8.1% | $220,051 | $52,969 |
| 48 | Nambe | 2,165 | 10.7% | $316,374 | $42,596 |
| 49 | El Valle De Arroyo Seco | 1,744 | 6.0% | $312,983 | $65,750 |
| 50 | West Hammond | 2,410 | 8.6% | $245,963 | $61,250 |
| 51 | Bayard | 2,152 | 7.6% | $108,639 | $34,699 |
| 52 | Loving | 1,413 | 6.8% | $180,708 | $50,000 |
| 53 | Hurley | 1,561 | 5.9% | $107,669 | $39,313 |
| 54 | Arenas Valley | 1,060 | 5.3% | $154,872 | $68,068 |
| 55 | Pojoaque | 2,336 | 4.6% | $128,340 | $61,583 |
| 56 | Flora Vista | 2,346 | 0.0% | $256,322 | $41,525 |
| 57 | El Duende | 1,113 | 0.0% | $0 | $1,000 |
| 58 | Eunice | 3,020 | 7.9% | $123,078 | $68,819 |
| 59 | Holloman Afb | 4,182 | 6.0% | $0 | $48,263 |
| 60 | Agua Fria | 2,523 | 0.8% | $345,271 | $42,411 |
| 61 | Ohkay Owingeh | 1,173 | 7.1% | $2,713,337 | $62,266 |
| 62 | La Cienega | 3,948 | 6.0% | $491,249 | $72,959 |
| 63 | Cannon Afb | 2,682 | 15.6% | $0 | $56,786 |
| 64 | Atoka | 1,280 | 2.6% | $159,544 | $77,816 |
| 65 | Jemez Pueblo | 2,070 | 3.7% | $393,131 | $56,116 |
| 66 | Spencerville | 1,174 | 3.0% | $284,764 | $71,705 |
| 67 | La Puebla | 1,036 | 18.2% | $364,943 | $68,393 |
| 68 | Boles Acres | 2,137 | 0.7% | $304,436 | $73,030 |
| 69 | Peralta | 3,379 | 11.3% | $391,053 | $57,711 |
| 70 | Questa | 2,179 | 0.6% | $246,913 | $53,047 |
| 71 | Capitan | 1,381 | 2.9% | $204,102 | $48,826 |
| 72 | Tesuque | 1,123 | 8.2% | $1,113,417 | $56,250 |
| 73 | Los Chaves | 4,840 | 3.6% | $300,637 | $77,364 |
| 74 | Arroyo Seco | 1,858 | 20.9% | $581,003 | $59,960 |
| 75 | Elephant Butte | 1,573 | 2.7% | $202,412 | $52,641 |
| 76 | Ranchos De Taos | 2,313 | 0.0% | $394,695 | $50,750 |
| 77 | Ponderosa Pine | 1,246 | 11.4% | $382,716 | $88,253 |
| 78 | Chimayo | 2,955 | 0.9% | $291,050 | $61,250 |
| 79 | High Rolls | 1,611 | 0.0% | $339,166 | $71,094 |
| 80 | Las Maravillas | 1,796 | 4.6% | $237,416 | $55,734 |
| 81 | El Rancho | 1,513 | 0.7% | $354,904 | $66,250 |
| 82 | Livingston Wheeler | 1,070 | 9.4% | $236,060 | $74,464 |
| 83 | La Mesilla | 2,456 | 2.7% | $337,538 | $71,473 |
| 84 | White Sands | 1,449 | 0.0% | $0 | $88,750 |
| 85 | San Ysidro | 2,205 | 9.8% | $398,182 | $126,500 |
| 86 | El Cerro | 3,244 | 3.0% | $315,967 | $108,200 |
| 87 | Mesilla | 1,647 | 1.3% | $398,046 | $65,809 |
| 88 | Tome | 1,013 | 2.0% | $398,046 | $77,778 |
| 89 | Sandia Knolls | 1,410 | 3.2% | $381,630 | $98,298 |
| 90 | Bosque Farms | 4,001 | 3.4% | $402,921 | $67,435 |
| 91 | Talpa | 1,559 | 0.0% | $457,875 | $46,473 |
| 92 | Paradise Hills | 4,441 | 4.5% | $312,711 | $68,710 |
| 93 | La Villita | 1,504 | 0.0% | $350,562 | $99,127 |
| 94 | Placitas Cdp (Sandoval County) | 4,066 | 3.0% | $638,040 | $105,216 |
| 95 | La Huerta | 1,274 | 0.0% | $481,345 | $1,000 |
| 96 | Sandia Heights | 3,205 | 1.7% | $804,639 | $151,991 |