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.

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!!!

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

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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. 😂

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! 😂

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+.

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.

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

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.

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.

Thank you for scaring people away. We have more than enough here in Northern New Mexico!!

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 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 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 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.