Best counties to live in New Mexico

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 15,203
- Median household income: $50,727
- Median home value: $132,600 (83% own)
- Median rent: $731 (17% rent)
- Top public schools: Estancia Valley Classical Academy (grade B+), South Mountain Elementary School (grade B+), Route 66 Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Mountainair (grade B), Estancia (grade B minus), Willard (grade C)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 121,798
- Median household income: $50,734
- Median home value: $170,700 (70% own)
- Median rent: $894 (30% rent)
- Top public schools: San Juan College High School (grade A), Mesa Verde Elementary School (grade A), Heights Middle School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Grace Baptist Academy (grade A), Sacred Heart Catholic School (grade unavailable), Casa Montessori Preschool (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Farmington (grade B), Aztec (grade B minus), Spencerville (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 27,211
- Median household income: $49,866
- Median home value: $101,900 (71% own)
- Median rent: $753 (29% rent)
- Top public schools: Bluewater Elementary School (grade B+), Milan Elementary School (grade B minus), San Rafael Elementary School (grade C+)
- Top private schools: St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School (grade unavailable), St. Joseph Mission School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Milan (grade C+), Grants (grade C+), North Acomita Village (grade C+)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 16,453
- Median household income: $40,699
- Median home value: $132,700 (75% own)
- Median rent: $702 (25% rent)
- Top public schools: Cottonwood Valley Charter School (grade B), Magdalena High School (grade B), Midway Elementary School (grade C+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Socorro (grade B), Magdalena (grade B minus), Alamillo (grade C minus)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 11,506
- Median household income: $35,256
- Median home value: $138,400 (73% own)
- Median rent: $729 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Truth or Consequences Elementary School (grade B+), Truth or Consequences Middle School (grade B+), Sierra Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Truth or Consequences (grade B), Elephant Butte (grade B minus), Williamsburg (grade C+)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 73,103
- Median household income: $65,855
- Median home value: $162,000 (68% own)
- Median rent: $1,031 (32% rent)
- Top public schools: Tatum Junior High School (grade B+), Mills Elementary School (grade B+), Broadmoor Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Junction Christian Academy (grade unavailable), St. Helena School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Lovington (grade B), Hobbs (grade B minus), Eunice (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 8,641
- Median household income: $38,998
- Median home value: $76,800 (68% own)
- Median rent: $710 (32% rent)
- Top public schools: Logan Elementary School (grade A minus), Logan Middle School (grade A minus), San Jon Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Tucumcari (grade B minus), San Jon (grade B), Logan (grade C)

- Overall Rank: Not ranked
- Population: 34,475
- Median household income: $55,145
- Median home value: $313,400 (81% own)
- Median rent: $982 (19% rent)
- Top public schools: Taos Integrated School for the Arts (grade A), Anansi Charter School (grade A minus), Taos Academy (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Anansi Day School (grade unavailable), UNM Taos Kid's Campus Center for Early Learning (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Taos (grade B minus), Ranchos de Taos (grade C), Talpa (grade C)

- Overall Rank: 1,395
- Population: 12,370
- Median household income: $46,286
- Median home value: $138,400 (72% own)
- Median rent: $656 (28% rent)
- Top public schools: Cimarron Middle School (grade A minus), Eagle Nest Middle School (grade A minus), Eagle Nest Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Raton (grade B minus), Cimarron (grade B), Angel Fire (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 1,354
- Population: 28,006
- Median household income: $44,895
- Median home value: $153,900 (71% own)
- Median rent: $802 (29% rent)
- Top public schools: San Lorenzo Elementary School (grade A minus), Cliff Elementary School (grade B+), Jose Barrios Elementary School (grade B)
- Top private schools: Calvary Christian Academy (grade B+), Guadalupe Montessori School (grade unavailable), WNMU Early Childhood Programs (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Santa Clara (grade B minus), Silver City (grade B minus), Bayard (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: 1,349
- Population: 76,613
- Median household income: $56,246
- Median home value: $184,400 (83% own)
- Median rent: $873 (17% rent)
- Top public schools: Katherine Gallegos Elementary School (grade A minus), Bosque Farms Elementary School (grade A minus), Sundance Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Calvary Chapel Academy (grade B minus), St. Mary's School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Bosque Farms (grade B), Los Lunas (grade B), Los Chaves (grade B)

- Overall Rank: 1,320
- Population: 48,327
- Median household income: $55,427
- Median home value: $151,300 (59% own)
- Median rent: $956 (41% rent)
- Top public schools: Texico Middle School (grade A), Grady Elementary School (grade A), Melrose Junior High School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Clovis Christian School (grade A minus)
- Top places: Clovis (grade C+), Texico (grade B), Melrose (grade C+)

- Overall Rank: 1,212
- Population: 20,222
- Median household income: $47,919
- Median home value: $195,800 (78% own)
- Median rent: $831 (22% rent)
- Top public schools: Capitan Elementary School (grade A minus), Capitan Middle School (grade B+), Capitan High School (grade B+)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Ruidoso (grade B minus), Ruidoso Downs (grade B minus), Capitan (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 1,073
- Population: 64,701
- Median household income: $49,673
- Median home value: $133,200 (67% own)
- Median rent: $850 (33% rent)
- Top public schools: Early College High School (grade A minus), Sidney Gutierrez Middle School (grade A minus), New Mexico Military Institute (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Gateway Christian School (grade B+), All Saints Catholic School of Roswell (grade unavailable), Immanuel Lutheran School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Roswell (grade B minus), Hagerman (grade B minus), Lake Arthur (grade C+)

- Overall Rank: 977
- Population: 19,142
- Median household income: $52,644
- Median home value: $128,100 (60% own)
- Median rent: $795 (40% rent)
- Top public schools: Dora High School (grade A), Dora Elementary School (grade A minus), Floyd Middle School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Eastern New Mexico University Child Development Center Laboratory (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Portales (grade B), Elida (grade B minus), Floyd (grade unavailable)

- Overall Rank: 939
- Population: 67,850
- Median household income: $50,833
- Median home value: $139,100 (66% own)
- Median rent: $882 (34% rent)
- Top public schools: Cloudcroft Elementary School (grade A minus), Cloudcroft Middle School (grade A minus), Holloman Middle School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Imago Dei Academy (grade A), Legacy Christian Academy (grade unavailable), Father James B. Hay School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: La Luz (grade B+), Alamogordo (grade B+), Boles Acres (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: 908
- Population: 149,460
- Median household income: $76,424
- Median home value: $258,100 (81% own)
- Median rent: $1,280 (19% rent)
- Top public schools: Mountain View Middle School (grade A), Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School (grade A), Enchanted Hills Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Sandia View Academy (grade A minus), Gospel Light Baptist Academy (grade B), St. Thomas Aquinas School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Corrales (grade A minus), Rio Rancho (grade A minus), Placitas (grade A minus)

- Overall Rank: 593
- Population: 219,870
- Median household income: $51,232
- Median home value: $187,400 (64% own)
- Median rent: $858 (36% rent)
- Top public schools: Arrowhead Park Early College High School (grade A+), J. Paul Taylor Academy (grade A minus), White Sands Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Las Cruces Catholic School (grade A), Mesilla Valley Christian School (grade A minus), Mission Lutheran School (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Mesilla (grade A minus), Las Cruces (grade A minus), Santa Teresa (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 475
- Population: 61,264
- Median household income: $77,458
- Median home value: $188,400 (73% own)
- Median rent: $1,095 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Carlsbad Early College High School (grade A), Artesia Zia Intermediate School (grade A), Yeso Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools:
- Top places: Artesia (grade A minus), Atoka (grade B minus), Carlsbad (grade B minus)

- Overall Rank: 464
- Population: 154,481
- Median household income: $70,522
- Median home value: $374,200 (72% own)
- Median rent: $1,252 (28% rent)
- Top public schools: Mandela International Magnet School (grade A), Academy for Technology & the Classics (grade A), The MASTERS Program (grade A)
- Top private schools: Santa Fe Preparatory School (grade A+), St. Michael's High School (grade A), Fayette Street Academy (grade A)
- Top places: Eldorado at Santa Fe (grade B+), Pojoaque (grade B+), Edgewood (grade B+)

- Overall Rank: 338
- Population: 674,692
- Median household income: $62,220
- Median home value: $247,300 (63% own)
- Median rent: $1,017 (37% rent)
- Top public schools: Nex+Gen Academy (grade A+), East Mountain High School (grade A+), La Cueva High School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Albuquerque Academy (grade A+), Sandia Preparatory School (grade A+), Menaul School (grade A+)
- Top places: Sandia Heights (grade A+), Nob Hill (grade A+), Eastside (grade A)

- Overall Rank: 2
- Population: 19,253
- Median household income: $135,801
- Median home value: $412,700 (73% own)
- Median rent: $1,235 (27% rent)
- Top public schools: Los Alamos High School (grade A), Mountain Elementary School (grade A), Barranca Mesa Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Ponderosa Montessori School (grade unavailable), Canyoncito Montessori School & Child Care Center (grade unavailable)
- Top places: Los Alamos (grade A+), White Rock (grade A+)

This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.