10 Cost-Effective Retirement Towns In New Mexico
If you're looking for a beautiful, welcoming, and very pleasant place to spend your retirement years, then you might consider retiring to a small town in New Mexico. New Mexico has so much to offer. The people in New Mexico are friendly, the weather is generally pleasant, and the cost of living is affordable, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.
Furthermore, residents and visitors are enchanted by The Land of Enchantment's rich cultural heritage, exceptional cuisine, vast public lands, immense natural beauty, and lively visual arts scene. There's something for everyone in New Mexico. It's the perfect place to retire. Read on to learn more about some of New Mexico's best small towns for retirees.
Alamogordo
Alamogordo, in the south-central part of New Mexico, is a small town with a population of around 31,000 residents, but it's not boring at all. This city in the desert is temperate, affordable, and quiet, yet also active and bustling at the same time. East of town, the Sacramento Mountains stand tall and are full of forested recreation opportunities.
To the west, White Sands National Park offers a totally different but equally serene landscape. Las Cruces, 70 miles to the southwest, is a great spot for a day trip, and Albuquerque is just three hours to the north. Alamogordo is also home to the award-winning Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center as well as a lively community of retirees.
Roswell
Roswell, New Mexico, is best known as the site of a supposed alien spaceship crash in 1947, and the town continues to celebrate this quirk all these years later. People come from all over to visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center in the center of town to learn more about this mysterious event, and the main road leading to it features alien-focused decor in nearly every shop window.
However, there are many other reasons that Roswell is a lovely place to visit and an even better place to retire. The town is somewhat isolated from other towns but it has everything that its residents need. In Roswell, you'll find nice weather year-round, a lower-than-average cost of living, and friendly folks. Museums such as the Walker Aviation Museum, the Anderson Museum, and the Roswell Museum of Art keep residents and visitors busy, and there are numerous parks and other outdoor recreational areas to explore, too.
Ruidoso
If mountain living interests you, then Ruidoso, New Mexico, is calling your name. This small town of around 7,600 residents is located within the Lincoln National Forest and is in the Sacramento Mountains. Unlike much of New Mexico, which many people believe is completely desert, Ruidoso is thick with conifer trees. Any outdoor enthusiast will love exploring the area trails.
Afterward, there are plenty of restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops to enjoy, too. This mountain town is beautiful and is full of wildlife. The cost of living in Ruidoso is surprisingly low for a place that provides easy access to both small town life and rural life, and that offers activities like golf, skiing, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and so much more.
Raton
Raton, New Mexico, is one of the state's northernmost towns. It's almost directly on the state's border with Colorado, and it's on both sides of I-25, New Mexico's north-south interstate highway. This makes Raton very easily accessible, and it gives Raton's residents an easy chance to visit other places without much trouble. Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, are a couple of hours to the north, and Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, are just a few hours to the south.
Nearby, residents can enjoy places like Sugarite Canyon State Park and Capulin Volcano National Monument for outdoor recreation, attend performances at the historic Shuler Theater, or learn more about local history at the Raton Museum. Retirees love this area for its small-town vibe and friendly community, its quiet atmosphere, and its affordable cost of living.
Corrales
Retirees who want quick and easy access to a major city will love Corrales. This small town has a population of around 8,000 residents, but it's just 30 minutes from downtown Albuquerque. As a result, Corrales offers small-town living that's adjacent to a city that has anything and everything anyone would ever want or need.
History buffs will love Casa San Ysidro historic site; outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy a quick walk on the Corrales Bosque Preserve Trail. Corrales is also full of shopping opportunities, wineries, parks, galleries, and great restaurants. Housing can be more expensive in Corrales than in other places on this list, but most people find the somewhat higher costs worthwhile, considering the vast number of amenities and opportunities for friends and fun in this town.
Tucumcari
Tucumcari is a small town on the eastern side of New Mexico, near the Texas Panhandle. It's a little under three hours from Albuquerque, but it's only an hour from Amarillo, Texas. The population of Tucumcari is just over 5,000 residents, making it a very small town indeed, but if that's what you're looking for, you're sure to love it.
Historic Route 66 passes right through Tucumcari, and the New Mexico Route 66 Museum is a popular attraction in town, along with the Tucumcari Historical Museum, the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, the Tucumcari Railroad Museum, and the Murals of Tucumcari. Retirees love this area because there are plenty of things to do, plus Tucumcari has a low crime rate, affordable housing, and low cost of living. Tecumcari offers a combination of rural and suburban living in a beautiful small-town setting
Silver City
The small town of Silver City, New Mexico, is in the southwestern part of the state. It's fairly remote; the two closest large cities to Silver City are Tucson, Arizona, which is three hours away, and Albuquerque is four, but if you prefer to avoid places with hustle and bustle, then Silver City, with its population of under 10,000 residents, may be perfect for you.
Silver City is home to Western New Mexico University, which makes it a college town, but it's quite mellow, regardless. Residents and visitors enjoy visiting the Silver City Museum and Silver City's numerous art galleries, shopping downtown, exploring Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, and recreating in the nearby Gila National Forest. You'll love the weather and views in Silver City, and retirees are drawn to this region for all of the above reasons, plus an active community, small-town charm, a rich arts and culture scene, and affordable cost of living.
Deming
Deming is one hour southeast of Silver City described above, and it's a great place to retire for many reasons. Deming is a bit larger than Silver City and has a population of 15,000 residents. Outdoor enthusiasts love this area as it is quite warm year-round, but temperatures rarely reach over 100 degrees, and the town has over 300 sunny days each year.
Numerous parks and attractions are adjacent, including Rockhound State Park, Fort Cummings, Pancho Villa State Park, and City of Rocks State Park. Locals in Deming are friendly, and there is an active retirement community there, too. You'll surely find Deming to be affordable, with a median home value of just $112,800 as well.
Portales
You'll find the small town of Portales on the eastern side of the state about an hour and a half south of Tucumcari. With a population of just 11,000 residents, Portales offers a tight community, a reasonable cost of living, modern medical facilities, and an active senior community. It's also home to Eastern New Mexico University, which offers classes, events, and activities that are open to all. You'll find a strong agricultural community here and the city is growing due to investment in the alternative energy sector. Portales is small yet energetic, and you'll love the people and camaraderie that you find there.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, New Mexico, is another great option for retirement in The Land of Enchantment. Although there are some expensive homes in this city of around 13,000 residents, there are also many affordable ones. People love Las Vegas due to its proximity to outdoor recreational opportunities, historic charm, rich cultural heritage, mild weather, and quiet lifestyle. Residents and visitors both enjoy visits to local attractions like the Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center, Storrie Lake State Park, the City of Las Vegas Museum, and the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, and Santa Fe is just an hour away.
New Mexico is an excellent place to spend your retirement years. As you can see, there are lots of wonderful small towns all over the state that have so much to offer, and the people who live there will be welcoming and friendly when you arrive. This state has an affordable cost of living, vast opportunities for outdoor recreation and cultural immersion, mild weather, and lots and lots of quiet. You'll love settling in The Land of Enchantment and you'll wonder why you didn't make the move far sooner.
