8 Best New Mexico Towns For Retirees
New Mexico, a state in the southwestern US which shares a border with the country of Mexico, is known for a historic blend of Native American and Hispanic cultural heritage. The state is known as the Land of Enchantment, which makes perfect sense when you see it. It boasts rich red-orange sunsets, impressive mountain ranges like the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia Mountains, and the fourth-longest river in the US, the Rio Grande. In addition to its natural beauty, it has a generally low cost of living and some great tax exemptions. These, among other factors, make New Mexico attractive for retirees, especially in the eight best New Mexico towns for retirees.
Gallup
Surrounded by the stunning images of red sandstone, Gallup is located in the western part of New Mexico, bordering the Navajo Nation to the north, and the Zuni Reservation to the south. This city is steeped in rich Native American culture, which helps to make it so unique and beautiful. It is a perfect place for retirees who enjoy experiencing outdoor adventure, as well as learning about ancient history which pre-dates the colonial US.
There are a few museums in the town which serve the latter purpose, including the Gallup Cultural Center. It is home to the Storyteller Museum, which hosts displays such as the Navajo Code Talker exhibit. Another museum, the Museum of Zuni Arts, is run by the nonprofit Keshi Foundation and displays pieces by Zuni artists. There are many restaurants downtown too, including top-rated options like Oasis Mediterranean and Don Diego's Mexican Restaurant, which have over a thousand positive online reviews apiece.
Another benefit to Gallup is that it is extremely affordable. New Mexico is not an extremely expensive state in general, being mostly a rural state and having few large cities. According to Zillow, the median home sale price for the whole state is around $315,000 while in Gallup, it was only around $220,000 as of May 2025. For people on a retirement budget, these are great prices.
Silver City
A small town of only 10,000 residents which is home to Western New Mexico University, Silver City is great for retirees mainly for its affordability. It has an average home sale price of around $227,000, according to Zillow. The town also offers large end-of-year tax breaks and exemptions for seniors, and the Gila Regional Medical Center in the northern part of town is a large and accessible hospital.
Silver City is a quirky little town with various cultural influences. It has a fun downtown area which fosters an eclectic mix of Native American, Hispanic and early American cultures. In the center of town, you can find a variety of restaurants, like the highly recommended Jalisco Cafe, or Little Toad Creek Brewery or Distillery.
For outdoor recreation like hiking or camping, the Gila National Forest cannot be missed. It is an expansive and stunningly scenic forested and mountainous wilderness area with endless possibilities. For older people, an awesome experience can be had by hiking along the forest's unique Catwalk Trail, which is an even metal bridge path that weaves around the park. The first half-mile of this trail is wheelchair accessible, too. The forest is also home to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a system of caves which were inhabited by the ancestral Mogollan People in the late 1200s.
Taos
Nestled among the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos is noteworthy for many reasons, including being a hub for art, mainly creators of southwestern and Indigenous art. It is also the home of an amazing National Monument unlike any other, the Taos Pueblo, which is an active and living Native American adobe community, which has been there for over a thousand years. The Taos people who live there, also known as the Red Willow People, are the original inhabitants of the land on which the town exists.
Where art is concerned, many older folks who have formed an appreciation for unique creations throughout their lives will be in heaven in Taos. It is home to many museums and galleries, including the Harwood Museum of Art, one of the oldest museums in the state, and the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House.
Taos is also popular among retirees, with one third of its current residents over the age of 65, according to USAFacts. The town has a well-developed Senior Services program, which offers three physical branch locations, as well as many amenities on its website. These include a monthly meal calendar for people who have trouble cooking for themselves or need better nutrition, an activity calendar which covers all three locations, and help finding reasonable Medicare plans.
Corrales
Corrales, a village in central New Mexico built along the Rio Grande River, is just north of the huge city of Albuquerque. This makes the town a convenient place for retirees who may be suffering from complex medical issues, as there are many specialists and state-of-the-art hospitals in the big city, which is only a twenty-minute drive. The Corrales Senior Center, located downtown, also offers a wide range of convenient assistance for the town's elderly population, including transportation services in case rides are needed to Albuquerque. Additionally, Sandoval County Senior Services offers home care and respite services.
Corrales is arguably the safest town on this list, too. According to Nextdoor, the town has an overall crime rate of 6.47 per 1,000 people, while the greater New Mexico state average is 53.27 per 1,000 people, and Albuquerque itself has a rate of 73.51 per 1,000 people. Therefore, Corrales offers the convenience of being close to the urban center of the big city in case you need something, but the safety and security of being able to leave and go home, feeling comfortable to sit on your porch or walk around downtown at night.
Speaking of downtown, there are many fun things to do there. If you like beer, you are definitely in luck, with two very successful breweries, Ex Novo and Casa Vieja, offering a huge variety in choices. If you prefer an outdoor activity like hiking or birdwatching, Corrales Bosque Preserve just outside of town has much to offer you.
Los Alamos
For people who appreciate mountains, this is absolutely the place for you. In the vicinity of the Los Alamos, you can find Pajarito Mountain, Caballo Mountain, and more. It is completely surrounded by wild landscapes like the Santa Fe National Forest and the Los Alamos Canyon. All of these landmarks make Los Alamos beyond perfect for nature lovers, especially retirees who have nothing but time to kill and love to spend their days outside.
New Mexico magazine has named the town one of its best places to retire in the state, mostly due to its high availability of resources, which can be all be found in one place on the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization's website. They list two senior centers in town, the Betty Ehart Center and the White Rock Center, and the LARSO site has an easy to find, comprehensive calendar for events at both centers, which by the way, are extremely packed. There is always something to do and a place to make new friends!
Los Alamos is very safe as well. Nextdoor lists the overall crime rate as 8.69 per 1,000 people. Keeping in mind the figures listed earlier in this article, that means it is recorded at 44.6 points lower than the state average, and 24.7 points lower than the national average. In 2024, a survey conducted by Los Alamos County interviewing Los Alamos town residents reported that 97% of respondents said they felt very safe in their community.
Ruidoso
A charming town with only 8,000 residents, Ruidoso has a strong sense of community and is known as a friendly and welcoming place. It is near the White Sands National Park and the Mescalero Reservation, meaning it has an interesting mix of Native American influence and ski town culture, seeping in from the nearby Apache Resort in the Sierra Blanca Mountains. The town has a busy tourist season, but the resort is actually open year-round in case residents also want to enjoy its amenities.
Fun things to do around the town include fishing or hiking at Grindstone Lake, horseback riding at Grindstone Stables, or having a drink at Noisy Water Winery. For an all-inclusive and unique experience, visit the lively Ruidoso Downs Race Track, where you can watch a horse race, eat at one of the three dining options on site, gamble at the Billy the Kid Casino, or even watch a comedy act or live music show.
For this list, Ruidoso is on the more expensive side, with Zillow listing its average home sale price at $345,000, but that is still only slightly higher than the state average, and the cost of living is actually listed as 11% lower than the national average on BestPlaces. You will also find that the climate is very comfortable here despite it being in the middle of a generally hot and dry region, with the high altitude and surrounding mountain range keeping it fairly cool even during summer months, especially compared to the rest of the state. If you can fit it into your retirement budget, it will definitely be worth it.
Espanola
Espanola is a small city on Santa Clara Pueblo Land in the Rio Grande River Valley. It boasts a mix of Spanish and Native American cultures and is located near the large urban center of Santa Fe. To experience the culture firsthand, you should visit the Puye Cliff Dwellings, which are remains of ancient Pueblo dwellings, or the Bond House Museum, which features many local exhibits. For more outdoorsy things close to town, the New Mexico Wildlife Center or Black Mesa Golf Club are good options.
It is very affordable in Espanola, too. While some may say there are more amenities and better access to medical care in Santa Fe, this small town is a fraction of the cost of living in the actual city while being well within driving distance. To compare with numbers, the median home sale price for Santa Fe is listed by Zillow as $590,000 for 2025 so far, while Espanola's average is only $337,000. Additionally, BestPlaces lists the cost of living as being 26% less than Sante Fe.
There are plenty of available resources in Espanola for seniors, too. The Rio Arriba County Senior Services offers meal delivery, transportation help including to Santa Fe and back for specialist appointments, and adult day care. The Beatrice Martinez-Quintana Center, local to Espanola, has a fully packed calendar of community-building events designed to help retirees meet and bond with people their ages. They offer a ton of great resource links on their website including programs to help seniors with getting affordable cell phones and cheap or even free wheelchairs and mobility aids.
Placitas
Part of the greater metropolitan area of Albuquerque, Placitas, like Corrales, is within a short drive of the city center and has similar easy access to big hospitals and specialized medical care. It is also very close to the widely respected UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho, which is only twenty minutes from the Placitas town center. Plenty of people agree that Placitas is a great place to retire, considering the population for people over 65 in the town was a whopping 36% at the last census. According to Data USA, the median age for residents is 63.
The town is very scenic too, surrounded by views of the gorgeous Sandia Mountains, and its uniquely high population of wild horses is quite a sight to behold. It is very quiet there, and it will be very easy to sit out on your porch at sunset and behold the stunning scenery and feel safe. AreaVibes gives the town a safety rating of A and concludes that the crime rates are 59% lower than the national average.
There is plenty to do during the day as well! If you enjoy hiking or mountain biking, the Placitas Trailhead is said to be a good spot for beginner and intermediate experience levels, meaning it would be good for older people, too. Reviews also say it is safe to take a casual walk there too, and just enjoy the scenery, since there is plenty of room for both hikers and bikers on the trail. For dining, try Blades' Bistro, Placitas Cafe, or Placitas Pizza Co, all of which come recommended by locals.
Many retirees crave warm weather to ease the aches brought on by the cold, and a quiet place to spend their evenings looking out at wonderful scenery from their homes. You might be a mountain lover drawn to Los Alamos, or a fan of river towns intrigued by Corrales. If you love art, Taos is going to be attractive, and if you want to connect with Native American culture, Gallup or Espanola will be ideal. No matter what you are looking for in your golden years, New Mexico can affordably offer it to you!
