Most Americans have never been to small town New Mexico. However, as the New Mexican who live there know, small town New Mexico is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, New Mexico has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Land Of Enchantment. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 92 of New Mexico’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in New Mexico where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in New Mexico for 2025:
- Upper Fruitland
- Alamo
- Thoreau
- Estancia
- Navajo
- Crownpoint
- Church Rock
- Keeler Farm
- Meadow Lake
- Moriarty
So what is the worst small town to call home in New Mexico for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Upper Fruitland is the worst small town to live in New Mexico.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Upper Fruitland home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in New Mexico or the worst places to live in New Mexico.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Mexico For 2025
1. Upper Fruitland
/10
Population: 1,496
Median Home Value: $91,700
Median Income: $40,446
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%
2. Alamo
Population: 1,242
Median Home Value: $9,999
Median Income: $24,427
Unemployment Rate: 17.1%
3. Thoreau
/10
Population: 1,795
Median Home Value: $52,900
Median Income: $43,953
Unemployment Rate: 13.3%
4. Estancia
/10
Population: 1,399
Median Home Value: $95,800
Median Income: $34,559
Unemployment Rate: 42.6%
5. Navajo
/10
Population: 2,133
Median Home Value: $52,100
Median Income: $28,917
Unemployment Rate: 20.8%
6. Crownpoint
/10
Population: 2,924
Median Home Value: $49,900
Median Income: $35,926
Unemployment Rate: 9.2%
7. Church Rock
/10
Population: 1,413
Median Home Value: $36,500
Median Income: $35,417
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%
8. Keeler Farm
/10
Population: 1,450
Median Home Value: $121,800
Median Income: $43,750
Unemployment Rate: 22.3%
9. Meadow Lake
/10
Population: 3,959
Median Home Value: $83,500
Median Income: $38,872
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
10. Moriarty
/10
Population: 2,074
Median Home Value: $106,600
Median Income: $27,446
Unemployment Rate: 16.4%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in New Mexico is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in New Mexico, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 92 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in New Mexico.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In New Mexico
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Land Of Enchantment with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in New Mexico are Upper Fruitland, Alamo, Thoreau, Estancia, Navajo, Crownpoint, Church Rock, Keeler Farm, Meadow Lake, and Moriarty.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in New Mexico, according to science:
- Placitas CDP (Sandoval County) (Pop. 4,375)
- La Huerta (Pop. 1,673)
- Sandia Heights (Pop. 3,083)
For more New Mexico reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In New Mexico
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Fruitland | 1,496 | 11.9% | $91,700 | $40,446 |
| 2 | Alamo | 1,242 | 17.1% | $9,999 | $24,427 |
| 3 | Thoreau | 1,795 | 13.3% | $52,900 | $43,953 |
| 4 | Estancia | 1,399 | 42.6% | $95,800 | $34,559 |
| 5 | Navajo | 2,133 | 20.8% | $52,100 | $28,917 |
| 6 | Crownpoint | 2,924 | 9.2% | $49,900 | $35,926 |
| 7 | Church Rock | 1,413 | 7.3% | $36,500 | $35,417 |
| 8 | Keeler Farm | 1,450 | 22.3% | $121,800 | $43,750 |
| 9 | Meadow Lake | 3,959 | 6.1% | $83,500 | $38,872 |
| 10 | Moriarty | 2,074 | 16.4% | $106,600 | $27,446 |
| 11 | Hatch | 1,663 | 17.4% | $110,700 | $40,625 |
| 12 | Vado | 3,185 | 7.0% | $108,300 | $29,844 |
| 13 | Columbus | 1,147 | 4.9% | $91,400 | $24,554 |
| 14 | La Luz | 1,683 | 31.7% | $60,800 | $35,324 |
| 15 | Milan | 2,473 | 4.5% | $71,300 | $37,551 |
| 16 | Jal | 2,069 | 18.0% | $105,400 | $60,703 |
| 17 | Ruidoso Downs | 2,629 | 5.8% | $55,400 | $31,413 |
| 18 | Lordsburg | 2,139 | 4.8% | $86,100 | $33,899 |
| 19 | San Felipe Pueblo | 1,420 | 26.3% | $255,400 | $55,385 |
| 20 | Clayton | 2,680 | 10.3% | $111,500 | $40,192 |
| 21 | Taos Pueblo | 1,294 | 17.9% | $315,000 | $36,979 |
| 22 | Mountainair | 1,308 | 11.0% | $97,000 | $41,678 |
| 23 | Berino | 1,429 | 4.7% | $1,000 | $37,614 |
| 24 | Dixon | 1,551 | 8.5% | $362,300 | $43,148 |
| 25 | Rock Springs | 1,166 | 2.2% | $17,100 | $93,333 |
| 26 | Paraje | 1,405 | 0.0% | $1,000 | $30,284 |
| 27 | Lee Acres | 4,463 | 10.8% | $182,200 | $50,846 |
| 28 | La Plata | 2,185 | 2.6% | $187,000 | $54,801 |
| 29 | Radium Springs | 1,661 | 9.4% | $132,100 | $50,000 |
| 30 | Dulce | 2,782 | 6.8% | $58,100 | $41,886 |
| 31 | Dexter | 1,144 | 7.6% | $95,200 | $61,118 |
| 32 | Mcintosh | 1,310 | 12.5% | $164,700 | $65,116 |
| 33 | Black Rock | 1,108 | 1.9% | $80,000 | $55,350 |
| 34 | Bayard | 2,370 | 9.5% | $118,100 | $33,269 |
| 35 | Santa Clara | 1,751 | 7.3% | $120,900 | $46,094 |
| 36 | West Hammond | 2,519 | 9.1% | $185,800 | $49,795 |
| 37 | Tularosa | 2,584 | 23.0% | $117,600 | $45,147 |
| 38 | Waterflow | 1,215 | 8.2% | $167,700 | $60,278 |
| 39 | Eunice | 2,989 | 8.5% | $164,900 | $49,795 |
| 40 | Nambe | 2,045 | 9.2% | $259,700 | $45,341 |
| 41 | Springer | 1,098 | 2.6% | $94,800 | $48,188 |
| 42 | Santa Rosa | 2,447 | 4.5% | $101,800 | $41,995 |
| 43 | El Valle De Arroyo Seco | 1,602 | 8.7% | $214,400 | $69,556 |
| 44 | University Park | 2,699 | 18.0% | $1,000 | $25,433 |
| 45 | Algodones | 1,198 | 7.0% | $236,500 | $63,750 |
| 46 | Santo Domingo Pueblo | 2,162 | 8.8% | $146,100 | $85,865 |
| 47 | Santa Clara Pueblo | 1,002 | 1.3% | $205,700 | $42,083 |
| 48 | Loving | 1,317 | 5.1% | $177,400 | $60,203 |
| 49 | Pojoaque | 2,274 | 6.1% | $154,300 | $68,188 |
| 50 | Santa Ana Pueblo | 1,028 | 4.1% | $147,100 | $72,188 |
| 51 | Ohkay Owingeh | 1,178 | 6.6% | $2,000,001 | $65,179 |
| 52 | Agua Fria | 2,842 | 3.8% | $264,900 | $47,438 |
| 53 | Flora Vista | 2,215 | 0.0% | $195,200 | $43,799 |
| 54 | Hurley | 1,137 | 4.6% | $82,900 | $41,167 |
| 55 | Chimayo | 2,726 | 1.0% | $214,000 | $52,305 |
| 56 | La Cienega | 3,780 | 4.3% | $417,900 | $68,676 |
| 57 | Jemez Pueblo | 2,273 | 3.9% | $190,000 | $59,102 |
| 58 | Tesuque | 1,087 | 13.0% | $877,600 | $52,273 |
| 59 | San Ysidro | 2,179 | 16.2% | $306,900 | $90,724 |
| 60 | Questa | 2,112 | 0.7% | $225,300 | $41,071 |
| 61 | Cloudcroft | 1,275 | 0.0% | $200,000 | $38,428 |
| 62 | Holloman Afb | 4,052 | 7.8% | $1,000 | $51,205 |
| 63 | Boles Acres | 1,967 | 1.4% | $194,500 | $65,673 |
| 64 | Elephant Butte | 1,586 | 3.7% | $166,800 | $45,179 |
| 65 | Angel Fire | 1,089 | 1.7% | $476,200 | $79,821 |
| 66 | Atoka | 1,038 | 0.0% | $119,100 | $69,959 |
| 67 | Spencerville | 1,100 | 5.2% | $255,400 | $60,708 |
| 68 | Jarales | 1,939 | 0.0% | $166,100 | $52,961 |
| 69 | Bosque Farms | 4,042 | 7.1% | $261,900 | $63,889 |
| 70 | Los Chaves | 4,641 | 2.5% | $240,500 | $81,320 |
| 71 | Capitan | 1,262 | 3.3% | $128,800 | $50,299 |
| 72 | Cannon Afb | 2,876 | 18.8% | $1,000 | $67,132 |
| 73 | Ranchos De Taos | 2,348 | 0.0% | $1,000 | $51,380 |
| 74 | High Rolls | 1,463 | 0.0% | $245,600 | $81,827 |
| 75 | Las Maravillas | 1,776 | 5.7% | $191,300 | $61,200 |
| 76 | Ponderosa Pine | 1,091 | 7.4% | $295,500 | $83,864 |
| 77 | Arroyo Seco | 2,107 | 11.9% | $525,500 | $69,917 |
| 78 | Mesilla | 1,850 | 4.1% | $296,200 | $73,681 |
| 79 | El Rancho | 1,432 | 1.1% | $257,100 | $78,594 |
| 80 | Talpa | 1,126 | 0.0% | $356,300 | $59,323 |
| 81 | Tome | 1,525 | 1.8% | $272,400 | $84,243 |
| 82 | Peralta | 3,385 | 5.1% | $275,000 | $67,703 |
| 83 | La Mesilla | 2,531 | 2.5% | $266,900 | $74,385 |
| 84 | El Cerro | 3,093 | 3.3% | $291,800 | $112,174 |
| 85 | Pecos | 1,145 | 3.0% | $260,000 | $69,327 |
| 86 | Paradise Hills | 4,662 | 5.8% | $241,300 | $74,403 |
| 87 | Sandia Knolls | 1,436 | 2.3% | $286,400 | $102,801 |
| 88 | La Villita | 1,440 | 0.0% | $259,500 | $130,357 |
| 89 | White Sands | 1,577 | 0.0% | $1,000 | $87,059 |
| 90 | Placitas Cdp (Sandoval County) | 4,375 | 3.0% | $520,200 | $110,268 |
| 91 | La Huerta | 1,673 | 0.0% | $421,600 | $83,672 |
| 92 | Sandia Heights | 3,083 | 0.9% | $623,500 | $151,538 |