What Are The 10 Biggest Cities In New Mexico?

You can find some of the most gorgeous destinations in the United States in New Mexico. The state is full of history, culture, beautiful vistas, and memorable cities. With so many notable places to live, what are the largest cities in New Mexico?

Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe are the biggest cities in New Mexico. Other notable cities, such as Roswell, Farmington, and Hobbs also boast large landmasses and populations. South Valley, Clovis, and Alamogordo are not big for other states, but they are massive for New Mexico.

Is Albuquerque A Good Place To Live? Albuquerque is one of the most recognizable cities in New Mexico, and it’s also the largest. Residents often refer to Albuquerque as The Duke City, and 562,281 people call this city home. You can easily recognize Albuquerque for its unique adobe buildings that harken back to its Hispanic origins.

Albuquerque doesn’t make you feel overcrowded, however, and the population is spread evenly over 188.9 square miles. The University of New Mexico is in Albuquerque, and that helps keep the city’s population going strong. Like any college town, Albuquerque is also home to thousands of jobs and a thriving economy.

Crime comes along with the large population in Albuquerque, and that is one of the downsides of the city. Besides that, Albuquerque has reasonable housing and a wealth of vibrant nightlife, nice neighborhoods, and things to do.

Las Cruces comes in as the second biggest city in New Mexico in both population and landmass. This city sits on the outskirts of the Chihuahua Desert, and it offers gorgeous and unforgettable views. The population has gradually grown to 104,672 in Las Cruces, and they are split up among 77 square miles.

You may know Las Cruces as the home of New Mexico State University, and that brings all of the benefits of a college town. Government jobs are common in Las Cruces due to government facilities such as the White Sands Test Facility. Las Cruces has an element of danger and boasts 59 crimes per square mile, but it is largely considered safe.

Rio Rancho is a sprawling metropolitan area in New Mexico with a large population to match its size. There are 101,570 residents packed into 103.7 square miles in Rio Rancho, and it can at times feel overcrowded. Rio Rancho only has 15 neighborhoods, so each one of them is packed pretty tight with houses and families.

You can also find safety in Rio Rancho due to the consistently low crime rates throughout the city. Rio Rancho has been ranked one of the best places to live in the United States several times over the years. Rio rancho is home to parks, hiking trails, and art galleries that all contribute to it being such a comfortable city.

Many people think of Santa Fe when they hear New Mexico, and that is completely fair given its reputation. After all, Santa Fe boasts one of the largest populations in New Mexico, and it is a family-oriented city. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, and the city lives up to the title with its great quality of life and most pristine reputation.

It is expensive to live in this city, but the high cost of living in Santa Fe affords residents a great home with a low crime. Crime is just above the national average in Santa Fe, but there is a strong police presence and residents generally report feeling safe. Art lovers rejoice in Santa Fe’s prominent art markets and galleries that help add value to the city.

Take a look at the famous Sangre de Cristo Mountains that you can see from many spots in Santa Fe. Santa Fe is a big city that never feels too busy or overpopulated, and it is quite comfortable. You will find distinct architecture, ethnic diversity, open minds, and kind residents in Santa Fe.

Aliens come to mind when most people think about Roswell, New Mexico, but it’s one of the state’s biggest cities and largest tourist attractions. You can find Roswell in southeastern New Mexico, and it provides a calm lifestyle for its residents. However, Roswell is also a hotbed for tourists throughout the year due to its historical significance and fun attractions.

Roswell is packed with 47,589 residents, but it never feels too overcrowded. That is due largely to the laid-back vibe that Roswell is known for, except for during swells of tourism. Whether it be Spring Park, the Roswell Zoo, or the International UFO Museum, Roswell’s large population has no shortage of memorable destinations to check out.

Farmington is part of San Juan County and makes up one of the largest metropolitan areas in New Mexico. Single residents and family households alike make up the city of Farmington, and it is known for its great education system. Farmington schools currently educate over 10,000 students in public schools alone, and that points to a large family presence in Farmington.

Golfers flock to Farmington to hit the links at one of many prominent golf courses in the city. It makes sense when you consider how gorgeous the land is across the 34.95 acres that makeup Farmington. There is a lot of affluence in Farmington, and there is no shortage of great jobs for its 43,278 residents.

Hobbs is large in population, landmass, and industry, as this city draws many industrial jobs. Many Hobbs residents work in the oil industry or thriving cattle industry that the city is known for. That leads many New Mexico residents to either move to Hobbs or simply commute there daily.

The population in Hobbs is large enough that the 26.44 square miles it’s packed into can feel slightly cramped. However, traffic is never too bad outside of rush hour and it’s easy to get around Hobbs on your commute. You can live in Hobbs with low overhead as the cost of living is quite low in this city, especially compared to Santa Fe.

South Valley gets overshadowed by Albuquerque often as it is a larger city, but South Valley is by no means small. Families make up a large part of South Valley as there are currently 13,802 households in the city. Single residents and college students also make up a big part of the population of South Valley as there are numerous colleges in the area.

South Valley gives you peace of mind as it is a safe city to live in with a low crime rate across the board. This city is spread out and the population is evenly dispersed across the 30 square miles that make up the city. South Valley is full of enough to do that you get a big city experience but small enough to not be overwhelmed.

You can find gorgeous agricultural displays and communities within Clovis, NM, and that’s part of what makes it notable. Clovis is not far from the border of Texas, and it is a big city with 37,765 residents that happily call it home. You can achieve peace and calm in Clovis as it is known as a quiet city with a small-town feel despite its size.

All 37,765 of the city’s residents are packed into 23.79 square miles, and that means neighborhoods in Clovis are packed. There are only 10 neighborhoods in Clovis, so it is somewhat packed.

Albuquerque is the biggest city in New Mexico with 562,281 residents over 188 square miles. Las Cruces and Rio Rancho are close behind Albuquerque in both land mass and population. Cities like Santa Fe, Roswell, and Farmington are also among the biggest cities in New Mexico.

Even cities like Alamogordo are considered large for New Mexico with only 32,734. New Mexico is not the biggest state, but it is full of many big cities. Each of these large cities in New Mexico are great places to call home.