Located in the Southwestern region of the United States, New Mexico is home to just under 2.1 million residents. The state is the 5th largest and 6th least densely populated U.S. state, with its capital being Santa Fe and its largest city being Albuquerque. New Mexico’s major industries include tourism, oil and gas production, aerospace, and U.S. government/military spending. Some of the country’s most popular parks and monuments are in the state including Carlsbad Caverns, the Rio Grande Gorge, and White Sands National Monument. If you’re interested in living in The Land of Enchantment, here are the 5 safest cities in New Mexico.
Related: Check out our New Mexico Public Records guide.
Our list was compiled based on FBI violent crime stats and proprietary backgroundchecks.org research data. Rates are normalized per 100,000 residents with the state average being 597 for violent crime and 3,542 for property crime. This is calculated by taking (# of crimes/population) * 100,000.
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#1 Sunland Park
Located in Dona Ana County, the city of Sunland Park is home to 15,400 residents. Considered a suburb of El Paso, the community lies on the border of both Texas and Mexico, is near Mount Cristo Rey, and is the site of the popular Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. Sunland Park is the safest place to live in New Mexico, with a violent crime rate of 41.6, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here just 1.3%.
#2 Rio Rancho
A city in Sandoval County, Rio Rancho is home to 93,800 residents. Considered a suburb of Albuquerque, this fast-growing community is the site of several large employers including Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Sprint, and Bank of America. Another safe place to call home, the violent crime rate here is 225.8, and residents of Rio Rancho have a 2.1% chance of being affected by property crime.
#3 Alamogordo
Located in Otero County, the city of Alamogordo is home to 30,400 residents. Also the county seat, the community lies in the Chihuahuan desert, is the site of several museums, and is the city closest to Holloman Air Force Base, which is a major area employer. The violent crime rate in Alamogordo is 286.8, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here is 2.6%.
#4 Las Cruces
A city in Dona Ana County, Las Cruces has a current population of 101,400 residents. Las Cruces is the second largest city in the state, is close to El Paso, and is home to New Mexico State University as well as the home offices of Virgin Atlantic and Spaceport America. The violent crime rate here is 394.7, and residents of Las Cruces have a 4.4% chance of being affected by property crime.
#5 Lovington
Located in Lea County, the city of Lovington is home to 11,000 residents. Also the county seat, the community sits in the southeast region of the state, encompasses 4.8 square miles, and is served by the Lovington Municipal School District. The violent crime rate in Lovington is 403.7, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here is just 2%.
