Do you live in one of the murder capitals of New Mexico?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in New Mexico with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 15 cities in the Land of Enchantment with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In New Mexico
What city has the highest murder rate in New Mexico? The city with the highest murder rate in New Mexico is Gallup with 35.0 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in New Mexico with highest number of murders? The city in New Mexico with the highest number of murders is Albuquerque with 103 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in New Mexico ranked. There were ‘only’ 15 cities in New Mexico where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 12 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Land of Enchantment check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Mexico
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Mexico
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Mexico
The 10 Murder Capitals Of New Mexico For 2026
/10
Population: 20,019
Murders: 7 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 35.0 (Most)
More on Gallup: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 38,972
Murders: 8 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.5 (2nd Most)
More on Hobbs: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 558,745
Murders: 103 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 18.4 (3rd Most)
More on Albuquerque: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,985
Murders: 1 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.7 (4th Most)
More on Truth Or Consequences: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 6,109
Murders: 1 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.4 (5th Most)
More on Aztec: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 46,677
Murders: 6 (6th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.9 (6th Most)
More on Roswell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 115,977
Murders: 14 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.1 (7th Most)
More on Las Cruces: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,653
Murders: 1 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 11.6 (8th Most)
More on Corrales: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 11,772
Murders: 1 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.5 (9th Most)
More on Portales: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 12,816
Murders: 1 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.8 (10th Most)
More on Las Vegas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of New Mexico
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in New Mexico for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 15 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Gallup. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in New Mexico. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In New Mexico For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in New Mexico with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in New Mexico are Gallup, Hobbs, Albuquerque, Truth or Consequences, Aztec, Roswell, Las Cruces, Corrales, Portales, and Las Vegas.
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Mexico
- Fastest Growing Cities In New Mexico
- Safest Places In New Mexico
- Best Cities For Singles In New Mexico
- Worst Places To Live In New Mexico
Murder Rates By City In New Mexico
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallup, NM | 20019 | 7 | 34.97 |
| 2 | Hobbs, NM | 38972 | 8 | 20.53 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | 558745 | 103 | 18.43 |
| 4 | Truth or Consequences, NM | 5985 | 1 | 16.71 |
| 5 | Aztec, NM | 6109 | 1 | 16.37 |
| 6 | Roswell, NM | 46677 | 6 | 12.85 |
| 7 | Las Cruces, NM | 115977 | 14 | 12.07 |
| 8 | Corrales, NM | 8653 | 1 | 11.56 |
| 9 | Portales, NM | 11772 | 1 | 8.49 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NM | 12816 | 1 | 7.8 |
| 11 | Rio Rancho, NM | 112817 | 8 | 7.09 |
| 12 | Los Lunas, NM | 19707 | 1 | 5.07 |
| 13 | Santa Fe, NM | 89652 | 4 | 4.46 |
| 14 | Farmington, NM | 46150 | 2 | 4.33 |
| 15 | Carlsbad, NM | 31243 | 1 | 3.2 |