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19 days ago
The 5 best places to live in New Mexico, according to the 2026 U.S. News list
Summary
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Land of Enchantment is home to plenty of charming towns. And according to a list by U.S. News & World Report, the best of those towns are scattered all across the state.
Take a look at the top five below.
Home to New Mexico State University, Las Cruces is a small, southern town.
Average Commute: 16 minutes
Median Home Value: $234,324
Median Monthly Rent: $852
Median Household Income: $56,746
Duke City is the most metropolitan area of New Mexico with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and museums.
Average Commute: 19 minutes
Median Home Value: $303,411
Median Monthly Rent: $1,049
Median Household Income: $67,782
Santa Fe is home to plenty of history with some of the oldest buildings in the state.
Average Commute: 17 minutes
Median Home Value: $477,520
Median Monthly Rent: $1,154
Median Household Income: $72,819
A smaller town on the northwest end of the state with ample outdoor opportunities.
Average Commute: 14 minutes
Median Home Value: $228,996
Median Monthly Rent: $832
Median Household Income: $63,641
Rio Rancho is a rapidly-growing city that’s part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area.
Average Commute: 30 minutes
Median Home Value: $310,408
Median Monthly Rent: $1,198
Median Household Income: $87,395
“U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings help readers make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down. Cities in the rankings are evaluated using data from Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) and U.S. News’ own internal resources. AGS develops its core database and specialized indexes from both private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau for Economic Analysis, as well as state and local sources.”
The statistics and numbers are gathered from U.S. News.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
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Take a look at the top five below.
Home to New Mexico State University, Las Cruces is a small, southern town.
Average Commute: 16 minutes
Median Home Value: $234,324
Median Monthly Rent: $852
Median Household Income: $56,746
Duke City is the most metropolitan area of New Mexico with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and museums.
Average Commute: 19 minutes
Median Home Value: $303,411
Median Monthly Rent: $1,049
Median Household Income: $67,782
Santa Fe is home to plenty of history with some of the oldest buildings in the state.
Average Commute: 17 minutes
Median Home Value: $477,520
Median Monthly Rent: $1,154
Median Household Income: $72,819
A smaller town on the northwest end of the state with ample outdoor opportunities.
Average Commute: 14 minutes
Median Home Value: $228,996
Median Monthly Rent: $832
Median Household Income: $63,641
Rio Rancho is a rapidly-growing city that’s part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area.
Average Commute: 30 minutes
Median Home Value: $310,408
Median Monthly Rent: $1,198
Median Household Income: $87,395
“U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings help readers make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down. Cities in the rankings are evaluated using data from Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) and U.S. News’ own internal resources. AGS develops its core database and specialized indexes from both private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau for Economic Analysis, as well as state and local sources.”
The statistics and numbers are gathered from U.S. News.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The Thunder were down some of their best players in Wednesday's game.
Corbin Young takes you through which advanced stats to note during Spring Training to help with 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.
Stellantis reported a massive full-year loss after taking a $26 billion EV-related charge, but saw improving second-half results, suggesting the company's turnaround under CEO Antonio Filosa may be working.
Retail therapy in the (virtual) bag: Get a No. 1 bestselling ski jacket for $50 and outdoor faucet 'socks' for their lowest price ever.
The trade will become official at the start of the new NFL year in March.
Conor, the son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn, will move down 10 pounds for the bout with Prograis after a pair of fights against Eubank at the 160-pound middleweight limit.
Max Scherzer's daughter might have a future as an MLB general manager.
Pool C features Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan and Korea and begins play on March 5 in Tokyo.
Here's how to get tickets to see Mumford & Sons when they head out on tour in 2026.
More than 36,000 five-star reviewers swear by these easy-to-use trackers for finding lost bags, bikes, keys and more.
AI Description
The article highlights the top five places to live in New Mexico according to the 2026 U.S. News list. It emphasizes the charm and diversity of towns across the state.