You hit so many points on the head, Kyle! I’m a white boy that grew up in New Mexico. While Anglo culture isn’t the dominant culture, it definitely hasn’t taken a backseat, it’s just integrated. For instance, we still eat steak and mashed potatoes, but put red chile instead of gravy. A bolo tie is considered appropriate formal attire. And go to the SE part of the state, and it has a very rural west feel. The culture is what makes it so special and unique. But don’t be fooled. It can be a very harsh existence. Summers can get very hot depending on where you are. The southern portion of the state hits 110 with some regularity in July and August. Winters can be brutally cold, with windchills out of this world. And droughts wreak havoc on our agriculture industry. We know we’re poor, we know that we don’t have the best schools, and we know we aren’t the healthiest. But we band together. And by that, I mean we embrace each other, despite our differences. I moved to Florida after finishing my degree, and let me tell you, people that look different from each other are rarely friends. I never fully grasped racism because, while certainly present, was far less prevalent. As a kid, I’d go play at the new family that just moved from Mexico’s house because, well, why not? And our parents spoke to each other in broken versions of each other’s languages. We will never be a destination for outsiders, but I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t trade having lived in New Mexico for anything else in this world. And if anybody who is still reading this ever passes through, make sure to stop and try the green chile and some sopapillas.
It's similar to West Virginia. It's a poor state with poor schools, but places like that are more laid back and people appreciate nature, as well as the fact that if they were much wealthier, they'd be as populous and expensive as Colorado.
Sopapillas. Drizzled with honey. Pure food heaven. If they ask you 'green or red', they aren't talking about traffic lights, they are talking about chilies. Green is usually not as hot as red. I have only been in northern NM, where is is more mountainous, is it quite high in elevation in that region. Is quite scenic in areas.
A few years ago I rode my bicycle on the route my Grandparents took in 1921 when they moved from Indiana to Santa Barbara, CA. I entered New Mexico over the Raton pass from Colorado and peddled through Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Socorro, Pie Town! and so forth. Exited on Hwy 60 into Arizona. I found New Mexico to be the best state I rode through. Beautiful country, wonderful people, great climate. What more could you ask for?
One thing I’ve noticed since moving to NM fifteen years ago - when you watch the national news or one of the weather channels, New Mexico is the state on the US map where the meteorologist stands in front of as they point to the East and West coasts. We rarely ever get mentioned.
One good reason is that we are on the edge of everyone else’s worse weather. Denver’s blizzards. Phoenix’s heatwaves. Houston’s hurricanes. I’ll take the lack of attention.
Visited New Mexico from NY and to this day it's still my favorite state to travel to. The culture and architecture is so different from anywhere else in the US and it really felt like I was in another country. With so much of America looking like copy-paste suburbs, seeing places like Santa Fe, Taos & Old Town Albuquerque really helped open my eyes to all of the amazing cultures in the Southwest.
I met some Japanese students in Santa Fe that told me that they'd finally found the true West in the United States because the architecture is authentic to what they'd seen in cowboy movies.
@@zeged That statement will get you a trip to the hospital. The majority are Spanish, and Mexican is slang for half-breed. Spanish = ancestors settled NM before Mexico even existed, and Spain was the largest European power in NA.
Personally, I'm glad New Mexico is not as populated as AZ or CO. I think that has allowed New Mexico to retain and nurture its old traditions. Too many people would ruin this state. It is one of the most beautiful states in the nation and it's bicultural traditions make it unique and special. New Mexico, like Texas, is one of the few states that can boast its own cuisine which is spectacular. Christmas in Santa Fe is something everyone should experience. It's unlike any other US place.
Agree. It's the last of the pure states in the West. I live in updated Arizona where the cities are raped of most history and culture. The rich white man will ruin New Mexico soon. Already has. Like Santa Fe. Last place I would go. For the rich who will, and are, ruining everything pure and beautiful. Glad I'm old! And not rich.
Agreed, but I would argue that at minimum, it's TRI-cultural. The pueblos, plus the Diné and Apache, have a huge cultural impact on everything in New Mexico.
New Mexico is a fine place to live in those respects. But, the young people need well-paying jobs and they are not available so they have to leave home or face a low income future. Being a playground for the wealthy hasn't proved to provide much of a future for 18-year-olds entering the job market.
Well isn't that nice mean while the people here are suffering because we don't have jobs and crime over the roof. But Tourists d9nt care as long as Santa Febis pretty why care if half Roswell is on Meth and Half the state are ghost towns.
We just moved to metro Denver and love it, but we're gonna look at NM as a less expensive and less populated alternative. And wanna sample the quisin 🤠
As someone who left Colorado earlier this year - the growth in Colorado is not necessarily a good thing. There are a number of issues. I left for a job, but honestly, we were looking to leave before the job opportunity came up.
Hi Geography King you're the man. I live in Canada but your original video on NM inspired me to drive there this winter and check it out for myself. I was blown away! I fall in to the "young outdoorsy urban professional" demographic who are moving to places like Denver and Phoenix in droves, and I like Santa Fe better than both of those places. I think the population growth will come to NM as people are priced out of AZ and CO. I also think the bilingualism will become more of a draw than a repellant as the country becomes more Hispanic in general. I have been applying to jobs in ABQ and Santa Fe so I can get in on the ground floor of what I expect to be rapid population growth. If you go back 20 years ago, no one would have predicted the sort of growth we see in Idaho these days, and I think NM will match it as people look for beautiful scenery on a budget.
That's really cool to hear. It sounds like a big change is possible in the future. You'll definitely want to build up your heat tolerance on spicy food!
I love that NM is bilingual. I speak Spanish also. In downtown SF you can hear various languages: Native American, Spanish, French, German, etc. as people from all over the world come to visit. I lived in Boise for 30 years before returning to NM 5 years ago. Idaho is great, but NM stole my heart. Albuquerque housing prices have gone up in the past couple years especially, and Santa Fe housing has gone up even more.
I disagree with you on Albuquerque growing to the extent of Denver and Phoenix over the next two decades. There’s a reason Breaking Bad is associated with the place. The city has terrible crime, and not much for careers, unless one works in healthcare or is among the very exclusive group that is able to work for the lab. I love the place, and it holds a very dear place in my heart, but it still has too many challenges.
I'm a medical student in New Mexico and there is some truth to what you have mentioned. I'm a native Spanish speaker and even taught high school Spanish prior to enrolling. So it has been fairly easy to connect and communicate with locals. Many of my colleagues of different nationalities admit that it has been more difficult for them to adjust. We do have a portion of the population that only speaks Spanish or prefers to speak Spanish. I have had colleagues break down in tears because they're unable to understand or communicate with their patients. To them, it is isolating.
New Mexico really is a hidden gem. My Dad retired in Santa Fe after they visited on vacation. I probably wouldn't have been there had he not moved there. There's so much history and culture in the state. The geography is beautiful and the food is next level. I never knew there was such a thing as new Mexican food until visiting. The only thing negative I will say about the state is the vast amount of poverty among the indigenous. It's sad to see.
poverty in the native people on various reservations definitely isn't just in NM. There's too much of it here in AZ and all over nation. It's a national tragedy.
You know, it's kind of funny. Since you brought up poverty among the indigenous it made me think. I worked in a pretty good paying blue-collar industry for 27 years. I was one of the supervisors and I was part of a team that did all the interviewing. I can honestly say that I never interviewed one indigenous person in 27 years which begs the question. Where are they and what are they doing to better themselves and provide for their families because if they had the skills, we surely would have hired them.
@@rickbackous1041 Step away from your own cultural bias (not saying it's bad, but you are a product of your upbringing and this is not intended as an insult) and consider something. Up until just a few generations ago, the native peoples of North America had a lifestyle and way of life that suited them and it was taken away by genocide and coercion. Capitalism as an economic system doesn't allow for anyone to opt out and return to living off the land. They provided for their families for centuries, but got forced into a system they never asked for. Just something to consider.
@@johnchedsey1306 thank you for these words I was looking for. As an indigenous person from New Mexico, sometimes we forget that assimilation is part of what the government is seeking. We are here as a people, as a culture, that's trying to not lose our way of life. To say that money over culture and tradition is better, than I choose my culture. For these reasons, my respect to people, the land, and everything around it.
@Rick Backous it's already been mentioned and it was mentioned in the video, their culture of not your culture. Having a blue collar job working a 4 hour week might sound appealing to you but by and large it doesn't suit a lot of the indigenous. There is also lots of drug and alcohol abuse on reservations and the poverty impacts the while tribe. It doesn't matter if you're from Detroit, watts or New Mexico, starting out poor sets you at a major disadvantage in life. If even if these folks want to assimilate its not as simple as applying for a job.
As a Phoenix native, NM is on my short list if we ever move. The climate is nice, Albuquerque is a fun city (minus the crime rates), there’s tons of national and state parks and public lands like AZ, and the cost of living isn’t nearly as insane as Phoenix.
The cost of living in Phx depends where in the valley you want to live. I don't know anything about NM as far as house marketing. But I guess you're are right a decent homes here might be expensiver than NM. Middle class community homes right now is still expensive to most.
I debated between relocating to either NM or AZ from Washington a couple years ago. I ultimately ended up in Tucson for 2 reasons: 1) winter weather is much better here. I love Santa Fe but I really just don't care for cold weather anymore 2) I already have a close friend in Tucson but didn't know anyone in NM. Those are my data points to add to the discussion. I do love that visiting NM is easy for me and I've loved exploring the state over the past two years. It's unfortunate the state has grinding poverty and I wish the best for the residents because people there have always been generally quite nice.
Another youtuber made a video saying one of the main reasons New Mexico hasn't seen as much population growth is due to lack of water availability. The Rio Grande is much smaller than the Colorado River so historically people didn't build as many settlements there, and rapid population growth would affect NM's water availability even more than AZ.
Water availability has never been a deterrent to people moving to a different area. There were water shortages in southern California in the 90s and people kept moving there. There have been massive water shortages in Utah and Nevada and people keep moving there. Despite the record low water levels on Lakes Powell and Mead, the populations of Nevada and Utah, as well as Arizona, keep going up at a high rate. Water availability SHOULD be a factor, but migration history shows that people will overlook it.
That guy's premise was way wrong. The Colorado didn't service much of Arizona until the construction of the CAP canal in the 1980s and long before then Arizona was growing at a healthy rate. The Rio Grande is a much bigger river than the Salt River which was Phoenix's primary source before that.
I was born and raised in New Mexico. NM is too dependent on federal government dollars and the state government seems content with that. Plus there's never been a solid and consistent vision for developing or attracting business that would stimulate growth. Microsoft was founded and first based in Albuquerque and one can only imagine what that city could have been if Microsoft's founders had not felt that they needed to pull stakes and move to the Seattle area.
I love New Mexico so much that we sold our home in Boise five years ago to move back to NM. I just had to live here again. I was the one who wanted to move, my husband finally agreed, thank goodness. NM is very special, I've never been any other place like it in the US. We live just outside of Santa Fe on 2 acres and have beautiful vistas and lots of wildlife. We are close to town and can be at Trader Joes in 20 minutes, or the Plaza, or wherever. There is so much richness here in culture, in the arts, architecture, and cuisine. I have been at the artist market in SF for 2 years, and many people support themselves from what they make there. We are also very close to other places, like Pecos, Glorieta, Galisteo, Lamy, etc. We have the Railrunner train here that we can take to ABQ if we want. The weather here is very tolerable, both winter and summer. Not too much snow in winter, and because elevation is high, we have cool nights in summer and don't need AC. We have lots of passive solar gain with our home, so low gas bills in winter. Santa Fe has seen a huge influx of people moving here, making housing quite expensive. Many are moving from AZ, CA, TX, and OK.
Fun fact: New Mexico was NOT named after the country of Mexico! New Mexico was named after the valley of Mexico (Mexico City I think) about 360 years before the country of Mexico got it's name. NM license plates are the only ones in the country that have USA on them (I think you covered that in your license plate video).
Fun fact: you can find out the stupidity level of a person using New Mexico. I lived in a few states and the common response is “how did you come here legally?” “How do you like it here in America?” When I say I’m from NEW Mexico they respond by saying “what’s the difference?” Or “Mexico now a state?”
I have a feeling if Albuquerque was left out, the crime stat would be way different. In our last trip to NM which included Santa Fe and Taos, we never saw any place we would be scared to walk around in, it was all very nice. From what I have heard, Albuquerque has some rough areas though.
I used to live in Roswell for a few years. There was an extraordinarily high murder rate. Feuding families dating back to the 1800s! Neverheless, they have amazing cuisine for a small city. It's about an hour drive to Ski Apache, second greatest vertical ski resort in the state. It's pretty low elevation for the state. Very hot summers, but winter can bring snow and many nights where temperatures dip into the teens! Lots of park land there. But if you go there, you wouldn't feel like you are in the United States. It is very poor city.
As a resident of New Mexico, you've got it exactly backwards. If Santa Fe and Taos were taken out, the crime rate would shoot up. You exclusively visited the safe parts. The rest of the state is mostly quite poor and crime is fairly common. This is not to say I don't like New Mexico. Almost all of the state is beautiful and even though it's definitely rough around the edges, I think it's one of the best states.
We absolutely love New Mexico! Headed back this month for a trip to Roswell and Ruidoso (one of our favorite places we've ever visited). Currently in the process of selling our almost century old family farm and relocating to another state, and New Mexico is near the top of our list. The food and scenery are hard to beat.
I was born and raised in Florida, but can't say I like it much anymore. I'm seriously thinking about moving to T or C within the next year. I need a change!
I lived in El Paso for almost two years, which is more than 80% Hispanic. I loved it there, but it was hard finding a good job not being bilingual. I'm sure that is a major factor preventing people from moving to NM.
New Mexico is wonderful and may if forever be so. AZ's growth is nothing to envy. Phoenix and the nearby towns long ago turned into featureless sprawl. New Mexico doesn't need to copy that mess.
NM has had terrible surface infrastructure planning and construction quality. Albuquerque was big enough, even in 1960 for at least a 3/4 Interstate circumferential. They simply took the federal allotment and largely didn’t lobby for additional needed mileage. Look up “Pete Rahn” and “Practical Design” to begin to understand why it’s gone so wrong.
well done...and a good laugh at the end. And I think you are correct in your final assessment. Moreover it is isolated. I'm looking at perhaps moving to Las Cruces. (I'm 65 and Currently in So Cal but it's way too expensive for me long-term, as everyone knows). It's almost as far from Dallas (680 mi) as from Los Angeles (760 mi). So NM - and specifically the Rio Grande Valley, where probably 75% of the state's population lives, occupies a no-man's land between SoCal's largest exurb (Phoenix) and the Texas Triangle. Fine by me. Right now it has some of the least expensive real estate of any Western state. Let it stay off everybody's radar screen.
My compliments to you Kyle. I love your content, and your comments are always thorough, thoughtful, respectful and interesting. Thank you and keep up the good work
I was born in Silver City, NM. :-) Though my parents moved back to Platteville, WI after a year. They loved NM and moved there when my father was offered the chair of the psychology department at the university there. They moved back to Platteville when its university chancellor and liberal arts college dean came down and offer him the permanent chair of their psychology department, complete control over it, and, more importantly, a bigger salary.
I visited New Mexico for the first time several years ago and I fell in love with Santa Fe. I thought the city was gorgeous and there was a lot to do. I felt at home there. I loved the scenery, the architecture, the food, everything! It was a wonderful 10-day vacation! I plan on going back there soon.
Really appreciate the time and research you put into these videos. I’ve learned so much over the last few years from this channel and am glad to have found it. Take care King!
I moved to New Mexico 3 years ago for grad school. It's friggen great. The physical geography is spectacular, the climate is pretty good, the food is great, and unlike Colorado, most of the state is cheap as hell to live in (except Santa Fe). I'm sharing this secret only to viewers of this channel though... If anyone asks, New Mexico sucks. Stay away. :|
When I lived in New Mexico, everyone spoke "Spanglish" - which is really quite charming - it enables both English and Spanish speakers to understand each other. I love NM - it truly is the Land of Enchantment. I grew up in multi ethnic neighborhoods of NYC, so I loved the "foreign" culture in NM.
I have to join those who are not bemoaning New Mexico's lack of growth. I love it just the way it is. The air is clear, the weather is great (as is the food!) and the people are very friendly. There are very large doses of both hispanic and native American culture that enhance the entire experience. I have lived there and still have family there. I am excitedly returning next week. I am hoping to move back permanently in the next year or two.
Born and raised in CO with family in southern CO and northern NM. Our states are are very culturally and historically related. Love New Mexico and don't want to see it overpopulated and deteriorate like Colorado has, especially in the last decade. I'm writing this while on vacation in Santa Fe. Beautiful place and people. For me, there is no better region than Southern CO and and our brother state to the south!
Great video. I moved to New Mexico in my late middle age, and my only regret (and it is a big one) is that I didn't move here 30 years earlier. But I think you point out some valuable points, Kyle, because it is *not* for everyone. * Many young people don't like it because "there's nothing to do". And, other than the best camping around, the snow skiing, hiking in the mountains, I suppose they're right. The ABQ club scene is, I would imagine, pretty weak. * As you say, some people don't like winter. And we *do* get it. It shocked one of my Midwestern family members when we got snow the first week of May our first year here, but it happens! Snow can happen any time from mid-October to early May. * The fact that you'll often find yourself surrounded by people who aren't speaking English probably does, as you state, make some people uncomfortable. And more of them than you realize don't speak any English at all. It's not uncommon for me to have to conduct my parent conferences (I'm a teacher) in Spanish. * There aren't really many job opportunities for a person who wants to "move up" the economic ladder (unless you're a scientist or an engineer). But none of that matters to me. I love my views of the mountains, the dry air that means a 92° day will become a 52° evening. Most of all I love the people, who are friendly and welcoming. The *only* thing I don't like is when CZcams content creators try to tell everyone that New Mexico is underrated. Please. Stop. The charm of this place could be so easily destroyed by a wave of migration from other states.
As a born-and-raised Santa Fe native, I agree. Already, Santa Fe does not feel like it did 25 years ago and the American immigrants have changed the city's culture in many ways. I believe I see and feel a wider divide now between people with money and people without money. But, the immigrant artisans have certainly helped to make both Santa Fe and New Mexico a more beautiful place to live. Welcome!
We have an incredible club scene, Downtown is booming. I rarely see my daughter because there is most always a concert or art walk to grab her attention ❤
@@BS-vx8dg Albuquerque, but Santa Fe is just as thriving. I've gone up to Meow Wolf for a couple of concerts, and one at the railyards. I'm a person that rarely leaves the house, so that's saying a lot ♥
NM also isn't as friendly as to business taxes and regulations vs. CO and AZ so not attracting them and in turn less better paying employment opportunities. The nuclear labs being near Santa Fe were due to one of the key people involved in it who's family spent summer vacations there, its isolation yet access to mainline train service.
I lived in the high country of Arizona for a few years. A large number of the homes in the small mountain towns like Payson are summer homes and weekenders, kept by metro Phoenix people to escape the heat.
11:20 - I sang in that cathedral once. It was so beautiful on the inside when the sunset shown through the big window. It was really a time of my life.
New Mexico is similar to North Dakota, Vermont, and Idaho in that you kind of forget about them when thinking of US states. There's about 15 to 20 states that always seem to dominate the headlines.
It seems like New Mexico has some of the same things going on as Wyoming: Slow growth Blue collar work Decent amount of protected area Top ten state for indigenous population Would be interested in a video comparing the two.
Speaking of Anglo culture, NM license plates read “New Mexico USA” to remind the cops in Mississippi that they don’t have to call immigration when they pull someone over.
I’m from El Paso (which I think are honorary New Mexicans) and love New Mexico and plan on retiring there. I’ve also shown New Mexico to friends from all over country and they’re always surprised by how awesome it is!
Hey Kyle! I love your videos! You should do a video on the geography of rivers in the US! Maybe the cities on them and the watersheds and the drought areas and such.
I find New Mexico fascinating and beautiful. I've often considered living there but realistically the Black population is very small and I don't know how welcome or comfortable I would be.
Since NM is multi-racial, I don't think there would be a big problem, but I could be wrong. Mostly people here get along with others of different races. I'm mostly white with some native American. What I'm saying is that there's a great mixture here of Native, Hispanic, and white, and generally an acceptance of others.
It's true that the black population is low, but it has been growing recently. There isn't much of an overt racism problem and there's such a high Catholic population that groups like the KKK stay out. BUUUUT unfortunately just to be honest the older Hispanic population and maybe recent immigrants might suffer from the same issues with casual joking racism and colorism that the rest of Latin America has. Then again, it ain't like the Black community ain't got its own colorism problem either. Thankfully younger generations seem to be getting more accepting and more aware of how bad racial insensitivity is making the world.
A business colleague I know in New Mexico moved there from Georgia because he's studied Spanish all his life and wanted more opportunities to use it and says he's never been uncomfortable being one of the few black people around. Instead, many New Mexicans think he's exotic...he's really dark and people often ask him if he's from the Caribbean.
Arizona worries me, all that growth and limited fresh water. New Mexico likely has the same issue but fewer people fighting for that resource. For that reason I'm staying in Illinois where we have our issues but lack of freshwater is not one of them.
I live in AZ for 26 years never had water issues nor no use of water. I know what you mean though. I think the odds of water dry out might happen I'm sure but after I'm 6 feet under lol. I'm not worry about it right now.
@@glow1815 Rio Verde Foothills is already making the news at Scottsdale cut off its water the small town was having hauled in, citing the lack of available water from the Colorado River.
I grew up in New Mexico and Raton (in the NE corner) is my hometown. I honestly believe why New Mexico isn't viewed more favorably by Americans is that many of them truly don't even know it's a state. Seriously. There's even a book called "One of Our Fifty is Missing" which is filled with stories and anecdotes about people not even realizing New Mexico is a state. They literally think it's not part of the U.S. 🙄
I was born and raised in Albuquerque in the 70s and had family I'd visit in Michigan, hilarious getting out of a speeding ticket because the cop was so embarrassed about not knowing the states, asking for a green card, etc.. at least a half dozen times
I moved here to New Mexico 13 months ago. I love it! Have wanted to move here for over 30 years. I'm retired now, this is my last move. Santa Fe has always been my favorite small city in the country. The state is absolutely beautiful. Land of Enchantment is the perfect way to descibe it. For me New Mexico food is the best in the world. I have only been half way around the world. I am sure nothing would change my mind . I love your videos Kyle!
I live in NC but have a second home in Silver City, NM, such a magical place. The outdoor activities, restaurants, art galleries and university make it unique, unlike a lot of small towns there is so much to do. It is a very active community, people of all ages and backgrounds due to WNMU. Best kept secret in NM.
Good job showing what was happening in your area yesterday. I was doing some work outside at home yesterday, June 7th. It got so bad here in the Lock Haven area that I decided not to do any more in the afternoon. I didn't get any photos, but the trees about 100 yards away looked hazy.
Another cool video; both informative and interesting. When you showed a picture of the Roswell sign, the first things I would think of are UFOs and aliens. I wouldn’t first think of dairy production
Most of the metric data for economy is from before the NM oil boom. I remember the boom being quantified as "[New Mexico's] GDP grew from analogous to that of El Salvador to closer to that of Ireland". We went from being one of the poorest to one of the richest states by GPD only (still one of the poorest by per capita income). Thanks for the vid!
New Mexico's tech industry is growing and in fact some defense companies are in the Albuquerque area because of its climate. Of course my brother-in-law did minor in Spanish in part because he knew it would come in handy but he is an electrical engineer who traveled to New Mexico even after his entire department had been laid off following a hostile takeover. He did contract work for another firm that required him to go to an address practically down the street from where he had corrected manufacturing problems for his previous employer. Both were in Albuquerque.
As someone who was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, its kinda cool to visit NM. Albuquerque is a beautiful city and kind of reminds me of what Denver used to be like as a kid. No major traffic, not over populated... Cool place to take a weekend vacation.
im not sure what you mean by no major traffic in ABQ. i40 gets plugged up daily with 2-3 accidents anywhere from coors to tramway. theres a ton of cars and a lot of them are operated by idiots.
I've only spent time in Ruidoso, but the landscapes that I've seen in New Mexico are one-of-a-kind beautiful. I would love to go see more of the state!
i think your comments are spot on about nm. having been a transplant from colorado myself one of the silent realities about nm is the poor health industry. translate those nm demographics to the number of the population that are on medicaid and medicare, while these programs are helpful they in fact dont attract the best medical professionals, and there seems to be a shortage of highly skilled medical staff and administrators. food for thought.
I've lived in both Colorado and Arizona (also California) - when I was young we moved to CO because CA was expensive. Went to college in Phoenix, I've lived here since. But some of my friends from CO, their family lives in Santa Fe. Such a beautiful town with unique culture and history - the whole state has fascinating history. Driving through New Mexico gave me a lot of joy, it's a beautiful state. Thanks for making this video, I've always been curious why NM wasn't experiencing population growth like AZ or CO. I want to get out of here eventually, the summers are brutal but I love the "winters" we have.
Very interesting video. I moved to Arizona from Iowa (sick of awful winters) I think one other reason people may choose Denver or Phoenix over New Mexico that you didnt touch is sports. I'm a big Cubs fan and the two places I can see them the most are Chicago and AZ. Also New Mexico is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. In Phoenix we can go 2 hours north to snowy mountains or 3+ hours south to a beach in Mexico. Vegas, San Diego, and LA are all under 6 1/2 hour drives. Grand Canyon about 4. Not sure what New Mexico has to offer regarding that.
Depends what part of NM but we have the Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell Aliens, Ruidoso mountains, Alamogordo white sands, Los Alamos, and the north section is close to Colorado mountains and the southern end isn’t too far from south padre island..
I'm from Colorado and I have been to New Mexico several times. I've enjoyed every visit. Most places in New Mexico don't have the energetic vitality that most Colorado towns and cities do, but it's still nice there. New Mexican food is positively brilliant and my favorite among all of the types of "Mexican," food. It has an earthy quality that pure Tex-Mex lacks. The landscapes are not for people who like abundant green forests and lots of ponds, rivers and lakes fed by regular rainfall, but for those that appreciate big blue skies and dry and mountainous western landscapes. I don't know enough about the culture there to comment on it, but I do know that, in much of the Albuquerque area, violence is an issue and there is a lot of high-volume drug trafficking taking place there. Like most places, the crime is centered in certain parts of town, but it is the truth right now. The violence and drug trafficking would probably go away, for the most part, if Americans stopped using and abusing illegal drugs on a mammoth scale.
I visited family last October, first time going on such a big road trip outside of the Midwest (from MN). Dude the mountains are INSANELY beautiful. The people are wonderful the food is amazing, Albuquerque specifically is so gorgeous and full of art. I happened to go while the balloon festival was happening it was just so surreal.
Great video Kyle. I just moved to New Mexico 2 weeks ago from California. I lived here for a few years when I was a teenager in the 90's. It is beautiful here in Las Cruces, NM. where I will grow my roots in this wonderful little city. Also New Mexico offers some nice perks for armed forces veterans.
Boring is sometimes good. Less drama is better. There are lots of outdoor activities around here. Tortugas mountain is a nice mountain to hike that is close to the city.
We had two couple that we know who have relocated from Illinois to New Mexico for retirement. They stayed for 2-3 years and decided that they could not adjust to the culture and the high level of crime in the Albuquerque area. Personally, I found that retirement living is less costly in Arizona and there is a more tax-friendly environment than in New mexico. I would say that I could live in Las Cruces as it is close enough to El Paso for airline flights.
The issue with New Mexico is it doesn't offer a lot of places to move into. You will end up moving to Santa Fe or Albuquerque which happens to be the more violent town. While with Michigan, there are several other options beside Flint and Detroit. I have 7 states left to visit and NM is one of them. Can't wait for that to come.
@Emperor Kuzco Definitely would come to NM in October whether it's this year or next year. I was planning to visit this April but weather was still too cold especially I was planning on sleeping in my truck.
WELL DONE! Well thought out and researched. I moved to NM from NYC because I wanted to retire someplace amazing, and I hit the jackpot. That things are less developed - expecially tourist destinations - is precisely why you can find yourself at some amazing places with virtually no crowds - yet equally exciting. That will change, of course, but right now, NM is unique in its offerings. However, it's big, and many/most outings are far apart making it necessary to plan wisely.
As a Native North Carolinian, Tourists from the Northeast and Californians have taken over my home state and driven the price of living sky high. I recently relocated to south Florida and unfortunately the southeast is filling up with non natives as inflation and Cost of Living is skyrocketing. I attend Grand Canyon University, and have thought about Phoenix, Arizona several times however, Arizona’s story seems to be the same of my home states. I hope to relocate to a remote Location in NM. I find the nature stunning. I’ve been a beach boy my entire life and dream of the desert Frontier. Maybe it’ll come true. Thanks for the vid!
NM looks like a really cool place as long as you manage expectations and learn to live with what it has to offer. If I ever get a chance to retire I think NM is at the top of the list
I moved to Santa Fe from NC & stayed 13 years. I knew no one and am anglo. I worked on the pueblos in northern NM. I loved the diversity, but there is definite underlying racism & distrust between all the races there- Mexican, Hispanic, Native American, Anglo. Santa Fe is known as the City Different. There is a saying that Santa Fe will either embrace you with both arms open or spit you out. You’ll know it when you’re no longer welcome there. I think the locals like to keep things as they are. It can be difficult to do business there. It’s a “manana” attitude, so people who move in with a very A-type personality will find themselves frustrated, if they don’t adapt to the slower pace here. Winters are cold. The spring is very windy. Summers are delicious. I loved being able to walk out my back door to free & gorgeous hiking on weekends. I miss that. The greenways in NC don’t compare. People here shop on weekends in strip shopping malls. Consumerism for entertainment.
I was born in Santa Fe. I left at age 15. I live in Albuquerque now. The city is not as pretty but the people are friendlier. Since Santa Fe proper is too expensive for most Hispanic families to live in their ancestral homes it causes a lot of anger to whites. Understandably.
I wasn't expecting that joke at the end hahaha Visiting NM I was struck by the amazing sky. Growing up surrounded by mountains, being able to see for miles out with those wild clouds made me think about moving there.
I was stationed in NM, and there was nothing to do for young professionals. There needs to be something to draw people to the state. Arizona has Phoenix which has plenty to attract the younger crowd. The same is true for Colorado. BTW, I don't think it has anything to do with feeling uncomfortable when it comes to race. I felt perfectly safe there. Would I go back, probably not, but I'd go there before baking in Arizona.
Hey Kyle... We lived in Las Cruces for 8 yrs then moved to CO when the Great Recession happened. We've lived here for 13 yrs now. My wife is Latin, I'm Anglo... It's very strange to say: We have felt more accepted in CO than we ever did in NM, go figure... But we do miss the food😄
Another factor is economic freedom. CO and AZ are high while NM is low. Economic performance is often tied to policies that incentivize economic growth, i.e., the freedom to easily engage in economic activity like start/operate a business.
Another reason for Colorado population boom between 2010 and 2020--it was one of the first state to legalize cannabis. At the time believe only 3 states but could be mistaken.
As an artist doing landscapes, horses and Native American culture in my oil paintings primarily, New Mexico is a magical amazing state. It's true what they say about 'The Light', here for artists. The adobe structures, culture, food (OMG the FOOD !!! ), is mind-blowing. Truly, New Mexico is a fabulous state. There's nothing like sitting in a beautiful soothing natural hot springs in the wilderness during the winter ... there are no words. I could go on for hours ... There is a reason we artists come from all over the world to experience New Mexico.
Adding to the reasons in this video, Geography By Geoff's video mentions Arizona's a much easier state to farm in because its river system is vastly more powerful than New Mexico's. Arizona grows alot of things: citrus, lettuce, and so on.
I love New Mexico, it's one of my favorite states. But I also love Arizona and Colorado for many similar reasons despite very different in the ways you highlighted. Why do I love the Land of Enchantment? I would say possibly the top reason is the historry/culture/tradition. There is a whole history there that most Americans don't learn about. Santa Fe, established in 1610(?) is the oldest continously inhabited European capitol city in the country. (Jamestown, VA was founded three years prior, but became subsequently abandoned later). And Santa Fe despite being fewer than 100,000 people is among the top five cities for Art sales, after the obvious big city suspects like NYC, LA, etc. Taos and Acoma Pueblos date back to the time of Europes gothic medieval cathedrals. The whole Spaniard/Hispano culture with people whose families have been in northern NM since the 1600s/1700s is fascinating and mysterious. They were isolated from Mexicos core areas during the entire time of Spanish colonialism and developed an identity all their own. Even with the poverty and lack of growth, the state has a higher # of PhDs per capita than any other state (due to the nuclear research labs in Los Alamos and Sandia) as well as the numerous astronomical facilities. I think the fact that the state is Majority-minority and poor explains a big reason why the state is solidly democrat despite being rural and sparsely populated, but also since the White, middle class population has a disproportionate % of artists and scientists (who tend to be left leaning compared to corporate types) also explains it. I typically like places that seem deeply rooted in tradition and towns and cities that look barely changed over the decades, while still being left leaning politically is my perfect combination. While I can understand being uncomfortable with an influx of a huge number of recent migrants to the US, I can't understand not being comfortable living among people who have been there for the entirety of US history and beyond simply on the basis of race. I think the type or person who might love the mountains and wide open spaces of the northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, but find the politics of those states to conservative, and their winters too extreme would love New Mexico.
The state leans left due to the large numbers of public sector workers. The system has provided them public jobs through their connections to various Dem politicians in the state. It’s called Machine Politics. Similar to the northeast and cities such as Chicago in terms of how public positions are filled. Cronyism and Patronage are other terms to describe the phenomenon. So two main sectors- the public sector, and retail, hospitality etc. The oilfield provides good paying jobs outside those two sectors but it is uncertain and cyclical employment.
You hit so many points on the head, Kyle!
I’m a white boy that grew up in New Mexico. While Anglo culture isn’t the dominant culture, it definitely hasn’t taken a backseat, it’s just integrated. For instance, we still eat steak and mashed potatoes, but put red chile instead of gravy. A bolo tie is considered appropriate formal attire. And go to the SE part of the state, and it has a very rural west feel. The culture is what makes it so special and unique.
But don’t be fooled. It can be a very harsh existence. Summers can get very hot depending on where you are. The southern portion of the state hits 110 with some regularity in July and August. Winters can be brutally cold, with windchills out of this world. And droughts wreak havoc on our agriculture industry.
We know we’re poor, we know that we don’t have the best schools, and we know we aren’t the healthiest. But we band together. And by that, I mean we embrace each other, despite our differences. I moved to Florida after finishing my degree, and let me tell you, people that look different from each other are rarely friends. I never fully grasped racism because, while certainly present, was far less prevalent. As a kid, I’d go play at the new family that just moved from Mexico’s house because, well, why not? And our parents spoke to each other in broken versions of each other’s languages.
We will never be a destination for outsiders, but I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t trade having lived in New Mexico for anything else in this world. And if anybody who is still reading this ever passes through, make sure to stop and try the green chile and some sopapillas.
I love this comment.
It's similar to West Virginia. It's a poor state with poor schools, but places like that are more laid back and people appreciate nature, as well as the fact that if they were much wealthier, they'd be as populous and expensive as Colorado.
Sopapillas. Drizzled with honey. Pure food heaven.
If they ask you 'green or red', they aren't talking about traffic lights, they are talking about chilies. Green is usually not as hot as red.
I have only been in northern NM, where is is more mountainous, is it quite high in elevation in that region. Is quite scenic in areas.
love that he starts with the fact that he's white! my whole family is from guadalupita area
@@julianmendoja7697 I grew up in Cloivis, dad is from Alamogordo
A few years ago I rode my bicycle on the route my Grandparents took in 1921 when they moved from Indiana to Santa Barbara, CA. I entered New Mexico over the Raton pass from Colorado and peddled through Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Socorro, Pie Town! and so forth. Exited on Hwy 60 into Arizona. I found New Mexico to be the best state I rode through. Beautiful country, wonderful people, great climate. What more could you ask for?
very cool geography and climate. Did you stop by the Bisti? Chaco Canyon?
Albuquerque, sky high crime. Santa Fe, sky high prices.
Jobs
One thing I’ve noticed since moving to NM fifteen years ago - when you watch the national news or one of the weather channels, New Mexico is the state on the US map where the meteorologist stands in front of as they point to the East and West coasts.
We rarely ever get mentioned.
Since you mentioned it it's true. I watch local news daily up until weather only lol. I hardly see the Metologiest mention NM or never at all
One good reason is that we are on the edge of everyone else’s worse weather. Denver’s blizzards. Phoenix’s heatwaves. Houston’s hurricanes. I’ll take the lack of attention.
God made New Mexico to give the weather man or woman some place to stand.
Not complaining - just noticing.
:)
NM should be human from the waist up shaped.
:)
Visited New Mexico from NY and to this day it's still my favorite state to travel to. The culture and architecture is so different from anywhere else in the US and it really felt like I was in another country. With so much of America looking like copy-paste suburbs, seeing places like Santa Fe, Taos & Old Town Albuquerque really helped open my eyes to all of the amazing cultures in the Southwest.
I met some Japanese students in Santa Fe that told me that they'd finally found the true West in the United States because the architecture is authentic to what they'd seen in cowboy movies.
Because more than hald the state is Mexican so it will look like Mexico
@@zeged That statement will get you a trip to the hospital. The majority are Spanish, and Mexican is slang for half-breed. Spanish = ancestors settled NM before Mexico even existed, and Spain was the largest European power in NA.
@@Krieghandt no need to be threatening
@@Krieghandt majority more like 90% are descended from immigrants from Mexico
Personally, I'm glad New Mexico is not as populated as AZ or CO. I think that has allowed New Mexico to retain and nurture its old traditions. Too many people would ruin this state. It is one of the most beautiful states in the nation and it's bicultural traditions make it unique and special. New Mexico, like Texas, is one of the few states that can boast its own cuisine which is spectacular. Christmas in Santa Fe is something everyone should experience. It's unlike any other US place.
Agree. It's the last of the pure states in the West. I live in updated Arizona where the cities are raped of most history and culture. The rich white man will ruin New Mexico soon. Already has. Like Santa Fe. Last place I would go. For the rich who will, and are, ruining everything pure and beautiful. Glad I'm old! And not rich.
Agreed, but I would argue that at minimum, it's TRI-cultural. The pueblos, plus the Diné and Apache, have a huge cultural impact on everything in New Mexico.
New Mexico is a fine place to live in those respects. But, the young people need well-paying jobs and they are not available so they have to leave home or face a low income future. Being a playground for the wealthy hasn't proved to provide much of a future for 18-year-olds entering the job market.
Well isn't that nice mean while the people here are suffering because we don't have jobs and crime over the roof. But Tourists d9nt care as long as Santa Febis pretty why care if half Roswell is on Meth and Half the state are ghost towns.
@@billolsen4360 Very true.
Honestly, I'm grateful it hasn't grown like Arizona or Colorado. It's a much more laid back state, great for retirees.
We just moved to metro Denver and love it, but we're gonna look at NM as a less expensive and less populated alternative. And wanna sample the quisin 🤠
I'm thinking about NM over Colorado. I usually like the unpopular stuff in life. Ultimately those Pueblo/Sante Fe homes look cool!
As someone who left Colorado earlier this year - the growth in Colorado is not necessarily a good thing. There are a number of issues. I left for a job, but honestly, we were looking to leave before the job opportunity came up.
I wouldn't if I was you
Don’t forget about all the abandoned uranium mining operations, and all that toxicity.
I'm a long haul truck driver. When I get past Texas and enter New Mexico everything starts to look beautiful.
Geography King, I love you
Hi Geography King you're the man. I live in Canada but your original video on NM inspired me to drive there this winter and check it out for myself. I was blown away! I fall in to the "young outdoorsy urban professional" demographic who are moving to places like Denver and Phoenix in droves, and I like Santa Fe better than both of those places. I think the population growth will come to NM as people are priced out of AZ and CO. I also think the bilingualism will become more of a draw than a repellant as the country becomes more Hispanic in general. I have been applying to jobs in ABQ and Santa Fe so I can get in on the ground floor of what I expect to be rapid population growth. If you go back 20 years ago, no one would have predicted the sort of growth we see in Idaho these days, and I think NM will match it as people look for beautiful scenery on a budget.
That's really cool to hear. It sounds like a big change is possible in the future. You'll definitely want to build up your heat tolerance on spicy food!
Be aware of the crime areas of ABQ.
I love that NM is bilingual. I speak Spanish also. In downtown SF you can hear various languages: Native American, Spanish, French, German, etc. as people from all over the world come to visit. I lived in Boise for 30 years before returning to NM 5 years ago. Idaho is great, but NM stole my heart. Albuquerque housing prices have gone up in the past couple years especially, and Santa Fe housing has gone up even more.
@@GeographyKingI did this exactly and moved to this state a year ago! I love it!
I disagree with you on Albuquerque growing to the extent of Denver and Phoenix over the next two decades. There’s a reason Breaking Bad is associated with the place. The city has terrible crime, and not much for careers, unless one works in healthcare or is among the very exclusive group that is able to work for the lab.
I love the place, and it holds a very dear place in my heart, but it still has too many challenges.
I'm a medical student in New Mexico and there is some truth to what you have mentioned. I'm a native Spanish speaker and even taught high school Spanish prior to enrolling. So it has been fairly easy to connect and communicate with locals. Many of my colleagues of different nationalities admit that it has been more difficult for them to adjust. We do have a portion of the population that only speaks Spanish or prefers to speak Spanish. I have had colleagues break down in tears because they're unable to understand or communicate with their patients. To them, it is isolating.
New Mexico really is a hidden gem. My Dad retired in Santa Fe after they visited on vacation. I probably wouldn't have been there had he not moved there. There's so much history and culture in the state. The geography is beautiful and the food is next level. I never knew there was such a thing as new Mexican food until visiting. The only thing negative I will say about the state is the vast amount of poverty among the indigenous. It's sad to see.
poverty in the native people on various reservations definitely isn't just in NM. There's too much of it here in AZ and all over nation. It's a national tragedy.
You know, it's kind of funny. Since you brought up poverty among the indigenous it made me think. I worked in a pretty good paying blue-collar industry for 27 years. I was one of the supervisors and I was part of a team that did all the interviewing. I can honestly say that I never interviewed one indigenous person in 27 years which begs the question. Where are they and what are they doing to better themselves and provide for their families because if they had the skills, we surely would have hired them.
@@rickbackous1041 Step away from your own cultural bias (not saying it's bad, but you are a product of your upbringing and this is not intended as an insult) and consider something. Up until just a few generations ago, the native peoples of North America had a lifestyle and way of life that suited them and it was taken away by genocide and coercion. Capitalism as an economic system doesn't allow for anyone to opt out and return to living off the land. They provided for their families for centuries, but got forced into a system they never asked for.
Just something to consider.
@@johnchedsey1306 thank you for these words I was looking for. As an indigenous person from New Mexico, sometimes we forget that assimilation is part of what the government is seeking. We are here as a people, as a culture, that's trying to not lose our way of life. To say that money over culture and tradition is better, than I choose my culture. For these reasons, my respect to people, the land, and everything around it.
@Rick Backous it's already been mentioned and it was mentioned in the video, their culture of not your culture. Having a blue collar job working a 4 hour week might sound appealing to you but by and large it doesn't suit a lot of the indigenous. There is also lots of drug and alcohol abuse on reservations and the poverty impacts the while tribe. It doesn't matter if you're from Detroit, watts or New Mexico, starting out poor sets you at a major disadvantage in life. If even if these folks want to assimilate its not as simple as applying for a job.
My one block street in Las Cruces, has Hispanic, Anglo, Asian, and other groups, Friendliest and best neighbors I have ever lived with.
As a Phoenix native, NM is on my short list if we ever move. The climate is nice, Albuquerque is a fun city (minus the crime rates), there’s tons of national and state parks and public lands like AZ, and the cost of living isn’t nearly as insane as Phoenix.
The cost of living in Phx depends where in the valley you want to live. I don't know anything about NM as far as house marketing. But I guess you're are right a decent homes here might be expensiver than NM. Middle class community homes right now is still expensive to most.
I debated between relocating to either NM or AZ from Washington a couple years ago. I ultimately ended up in Tucson for 2 reasons: 1) winter weather is much better here. I love Santa Fe but I really just don't care for cold weather anymore 2) I already have a close friend in Tucson but didn't know anyone in NM. Those are my data points to add to the discussion.
I do love that visiting NM is easy for me and I've loved exploring the state over the past two years. It's unfortunate the state has grinding poverty and I wish the best for the residents because people there have always been generally quite nice.
Another youtuber made a video saying one of the main reasons New Mexico hasn't seen as much population growth is due to lack of water availability. The Rio Grande is much smaller than the Colorado River so historically people didn't build as many settlements there, and rapid population growth would affect NM's water availability even more than AZ.
Yeah, he never mentioned water and that is a huge issue for New Mexico.
Yes, I too watched that video. I think the lack of water has a bigger effect on agriculture & industry which translates to jobs.
Water availability has never been a deterrent to people moving to a different area. There were water shortages in southern California in the 90s and people kept moving there. There have been massive water shortages in Utah and Nevada and people keep moving there. Despite the record low water levels on Lakes Powell and Mead, the populations of Nevada and Utah, as well as Arizona, keep going up at a high rate. Water availability SHOULD be a factor, but migration history shows that people will overlook it.
@@GeographyKing yeah, afterall people aren't moving to Michigan.
That guy's premise was way wrong. The Colorado didn't service much of Arizona until the construction of the CAP canal in the 1980s and long before then Arizona was growing at a healthy rate. The Rio Grande is a much bigger river than the Salt River which was Phoenix's primary source before that.
I was born and raised in New Mexico. NM is too dependent on federal government dollars and the state government seems content with that. Plus there's never been a solid and consistent vision for developing or attracting business that would stimulate growth. Microsoft was founded and first based in Albuquerque and one can only imagine what that city could have been if Microsoft's founders had not felt that they needed to pull stakes and move to the Seattle area.
I love New Mexico so much that we sold our home in Boise five years ago to move back to NM. I just had to live here again. I was the one who wanted to move, my husband finally agreed, thank goodness. NM is very special, I've never been any other place like it in the US. We live just outside of Santa Fe on 2 acres and have beautiful vistas and lots of wildlife. We are close to town and can be at Trader Joes in 20 minutes, or the Plaza, or wherever.
There is so much richness here in culture, in the arts, architecture, and cuisine. I have been at the artist market in SF for 2 years, and many people support themselves from what they make there. We are also very close to other places, like Pecos, Glorieta, Galisteo, Lamy, etc. We have the Railrunner train here that we can take to ABQ if we want. The weather here is very tolerable, both winter and summer. Not too much snow in winter, and because elevation is high, we have cool nights in summer and don't need AC. We have lots of passive solar gain with our home, so low gas bills in winter. Santa Fe has seen a huge influx of people moving here, making housing quite expensive. Many are moving from AZ, CA, TX, and OK.
Fun fact: New Mexico was NOT named after the country of Mexico! New Mexico was named after the valley of Mexico (Mexico City I think) about 360 years before the country of Mexico got it's name. NM license plates are the only ones in the country that have USA on them (I think you covered that in your license plate video).
Sigh. USA on plates.
Probably to counter ignorant racists out there.
Huh good to know thanks 😊
That “USA” has been dropped. It was on the nineties standard yellow plates.
Fun fact: you can find out the stupidity level of a person using New Mexico. I lived in a few states and the common response is “how did you come here legally?” “How do you like it here in America?” When I say I’m from NEW Mexico they respond by saying “what’s the difference?” Or “Mexico now a state?”
I'm moving to Colorado next year from the East Coast. My first road trip to explore the west will be Santa Fe. I can't wait!
11:17 this sarcastic ending was 💯💯 lol- I can’t wait to visit sometime, would love to be there for the hot air balloon festival!!
Don't forget the Jemez loop
I live in west Virginia and I saw a new mexico Chile pepper license plate a few days ago, it looks really cool 😎
WV, ah mountain mama, your state is breathtaking--and in many ways plagued by similar problems as New Mexico.
I have a feeling if Albuquerque was left out, the crime stat would be way different. In our last trip to NM which included Santa Fe and Taos, we never saw any place we would be scared to walk around in, it was all very nice. From what I have heard, Albuquerque has some rough areas though.
I used to live in Roswell for a few years. There was an extraordinarily high murder rate. Feuding families dating back to the 1800s! Neverheless, they have amazing cuisine for a small city. It's about an hour drive to Ski Apache, second greatest vertical ski resort in the state. It's pretty low elevation for the state. Very hot summers, but winter can bring snow and many nights where temperatures dip into the teens! Lots of park land there. But if you go there, you wouldn't feel like you are in the United States. It is very poor city.
As a resident of New Mexico, you've got it exactly backwards. If Santa Fe and Taos were taken out, the crime rate would shoot up. You exclusively visited the safe parts. The rest of the state is mostly quite poor and crime is fairly common. This is not to say I don't like New Mexico. Almost all of the state is beautiful and even though it's definitely rough around the edges, I think it's one of the best states.
@@ulfthegoon Chilies make everything taste good :)
@@quarkonium3795 And everybody is drunk
@@quarkonium3795 Oh well, I'm wrong many times each day. We liked what we saw, I hope I can be right about that part.
We absolutely love New Mexico! Headed back this month for a trip to Roswell and Ruidoso (one of our favorite places we've ever visited). Currently in the process of selling our almost century old family farm and relocating to another state, and New Mexico is near the top of our list. The food and scenery are hard to beat.
I live in Truth or Consequences, NM. The food is great and it's nice and quiet.
That’s a badass name for a city
I was born and raised in Florida, but can't say I like it much anymore. I'm seriously thinking about moving to T or C within the next year. I need a change!
I lived in El Paso for almost two years, which is more than 80% Hispanic. I loved it there, but it was hard finding a good job not being bilingual. I'm sure that is a major factor preventing people from moving to NM.
New Mexico is wonderful and may if forever be so. AZ's growth is nothing to envy. Phoenix and the nearby towns long ago turned into featureless sprawl. New Mexico doesn't need to copy that mess.
Yep, Phoenix has the 101 loop, the 303 loop, who knows when the 505 loop will be built!
@@UncleMilty Don,t forget the 202.
NM has had terrible surface infrastructure planning and construction quality. Albuquerque was big enough, even in 1960 for at least a 3/4 Interstate circumferential. They simply took the federal allotment and largely didn’t lobby for additional needed mileage. Look up “Pete Rahn” and “Practical Design” to begin to understand why it’s gone so wrong.
well done...and a good laugh at the end. And I think you are correct in your final assessment. Moreover it is isolated. I'm looking at perhaps moving to Las Cruces. (I'm 65 and Currently in So Cal but it's way too expensive for me long-term, as everyone knows). It's almost as far from Dallas (680 mi) as from Los Angeles (760 mi). So NM - and specifically the Rio Grande Valley, where probably 75% of the state's population lives, occupies a no-man's land between SoCal's largest exurb (Phoenix) and the Texas Triangle. Fine by me. Right now it has some of the least expensive real estate of any Western state. Let it stay off everybody's radar screen.
Visit Silver City and surrounding forest areas, it is magical and still somewhat wilderness. I have a second home there.
Thanks for showing us some love here in the Lou there Kyle, great video as usual! :]
My compliments to you Kyle. I love your content, and your comments are always thorough, thoughtful, respectful and interesting. Thank you and keep up the good work
I was born in Silver City, NM. :-) Though my parents moved back to Platteville, WI after a year. They loved NM and moved there when my father was offered the chair of the psychology department at the university there. They moved back to Platteville when its university chancellor and liberal arts college dean came down and offer him the permanent chair of their psychology department, complete control over it, and, more importantly, a bigger salary.
I still live in SC! Born in Reserve.
I visited New Mexico for the first time several years ago and I fell in love with Santa Fe. I thought the city was gorgeous and there was a lot to do. I felt at home there. I loved the scenery, the architecture, the food, everything! It was a wonderful 10-day vacation! I plan on going back there soon.
Really appreciate the time and research you put into these videos. I’ve learned so much over the last few years from this channel and am glad to have found it. Take care King!
I moved to New Mexico 3 years ago for grad school. It's friggen great. The physical geography is spectacular, the climate is pretty good, the food is great, and unlike Colorado, most of the state is cheap as hell to live in (except Santa Fe). I'm sharing this secret only to viewers of this channel though... If anyone asks, New Mexico sucks. Stay away. :|
Good! I like that. People still won't go. They'll continue to move to overrated states like Georgia and Texas.
kyle back at it making the videos i want to see before i know i want to see them
When I lived in New Mexico, everyone spoke "Spanglish" - which is really quite charming - it enables both English and Spanish speakers to understand each other. I love NM - it truly is the Land of Enchantment. I grew up in multi ethnic neighborhoods of NYC, so I loved the "foreign" culture in NM.
Yes, it's much more fun to live in a racially mixed neighborhood.
I have to join those who are not bemoaning New Mexico's lack of growth. I love it just the way it is. The air is clear, the weather is great (as is the food!) and the people are very friendly. There are very large doses of both hispanic and native American culture that enhance the entire experience. I have lived there and still have family there. I am excitedly returning next week. I am hoping to move back permanently in the next year or two.
Born and raised in CO with family in southern CO and northern NM. Our states are are very culturally and historically related. Love New Mexico and don't want to see it overpopulated and deteriorate like Colorado has, especially in the last decade. I'm writing this while on vacation in Santa Fe. Beautiful place and people. For me, there is no better region than Southern CO and and our brother state to the south!
Half of NM is just west Texas. I think NM is underrated as a state in general, but properly rated when compared to over SW states.
Great video. I moved to New Mexico in my late middle age, and my only regret (and it is a big one) is that I didn't move here 30 years earlier. But I think you point out some valuable points, Kyle, because it is *not* for everyone.
* Many young people don't like it because "there's nothing to do". And, other than the best camping around, the snow skiing, hiking in the mountains, I suppose they're right. The ABQ club scene is, I would imagine, pretty weak.
* As you say, some people don't like winter. And we *do* get it. It shocked one of my Midwestern family members when we got snow the first week of May our first year here, but it happens! Snow can happen any time from mid-October to early May.
* The fact that you'll often find yourself surrounded by people who aren't speaking English probably does, as you state, make some people uncomfortable. And more of them than you realize don't speak any English at all. It's not uncommon for me to have to conduct my parent conferences (I'm a teacher) in Spanish.
* There aren't really many job opportunities for a person who wants to "move up" the economic ladder (unless you're a scientist or an engineer).
But none of that matters to me. I love my views of the mountains, the dry air that means a 92° day will become a 52° evening. Most of all I love the people, who are friendly and welcoming. The *only* thing I don't like is when CZcams content creators try to tell everyone that New Mexico is underrated. Please. Stop. The charm of this place could be so easily destroyed by a wave of migration from other states.
As a born-and-raised Santa Fe native, I agree. Already, Santa Fe does not feel like it did 25 years ago and the American immigrants have changed the city's culture in many ways. I believe I see and feel a wider divide now between people with money and people without money. But, the immigrant artisans have certainly helped to make both Santa Fe and New Mexico a more beautiful place to live. Welcome!
We have an incredible club scene, Downtown is booming. I rarely see my daughter because there is most always a concert or art walk to grab her attention ❤
@@VondaInWonderland Are you speaking of ABQ or Santa Fe?
@@BS-vx8dg Albuquerque, but Santa Fe is just as thriving. I've gone up to Meow Wolf for a couple of concerts, and one at the railyards. I'm a person that rarely leaves the house, so that's saying a lot ♥
@@VondaInWonderland Well, I'm an old Boomer, so I guess there's more going on in ABQ than I realized.
NM also isn't as friendly as to business taxes and regulations vs. CO and AZ so not attracting them and in turn less better paying employment opportunities. The nuclear labs being near Santa Fe were due to one of the key people involved in it who's family spent summer vacations there, its isolation yet access to mainline train service.
I lived in the high country of Arizona for a few years. A large number of the homes in the small mountain towns like Payson are summer homes and weekenders, kept by metro Phoenix people to escape the heat.
And super expensive.
11:20 - I sang in that cathedral once. It was so beautiful on the inside when the sunset shown through the big window. It was really a time of my life.
New Mexico is similar to North Dakota, Vermont, and Idaho in that you kind of forget about them when thinking of US states. There's about 15 to 20 states that always seem to dominate the headlines.
But do you get asked for a passport because they think you live outside the US.
It seems like New Mexico has some of the same things going on as Wyoming:
Slow growth
Blue collar work
Decent amount of protected area
Top ten state for indigenous population
Would be interested in a video comparing the two.
Speaking of Anglo culture, NM license plates read “New Mexico USA” to remind the cops in Mississippi that they don’t have to call immigration when they pull someone over.
I’m from El Paso (which I think are honorary New Mexicans) and love New Mexico and plan on retiring there. I’ve also shown New Mexico to friends from all over country and they’re always surprised by how awesome it is!
Hey Kyle! I love your videos! You should do a video on the geography of rivers in the US! Maybe the cities on them and the watersheds and the drought areas and such.
I found New Mexico a very special place
👍🇨🇦😎
I'm wondering, if you don't mind, which province or territory do you hail?
I find New Mexico fascinating and beautiful. I've often considered living there but realistically the Black population is very small and I don't know how welcome or comfortable I would be.
Since NM is multi-racial, I don't think there would be a big problem, but I could be wrong. Mostly people here get along with others of different races. I'm mostly white with some native American. What I'm saying is that there's a great mixture here of Native, Hispanic, and white, and generally an acceptance of others.
It's true that the black population is low, but it has been growing recently. There isn't much of an overt racism problem and there's such a high Catholic population that groups like the KKK stay out. BUUUUT unfortunately just to be honest the older Hispanic population and maybe recent immigrants might suffer from the same issues with casual joking racism and colorism that the rest of Latin America has. Then again, it ain't like the Black community ain't got its own colorism problem either. Thankfully younger generations seem to be getting more accepting and more aware of how bad racial insensitivity is making the world.
A business colleague I know in New Mexico moved there from Georgia because he's studied Spanish all his life and wanted more opportunities to use it and says he's never been uncomfortable being one of the few black people around. Instead, many New Mexicans think he's exotic...he's really dark and people often ask him if he's from the Caribbean.
Andrew -
I'm not
but You have some very realistic considerations.
Some nm are really mean and dangerous
Regrets / Poor choices
We lived there a few years and felt nothing but welcome and I'm asian.
Keep these vids coming! They’re the best!
Arizona worries me, all that growth and limited fresh water. New Mexico likely has the same issue but fewer people fighting for that resource. For that reason I'm staying in Illinois where we have our issues but lack of freshwater is not one of them.
I live in AZ for 26 years never had water issues nor no use of water. I know what you mean though. I think the odds of water dry out might happen I'm sure but after I'm 6 feet under lol. I'm not worry about it right now.
@@glow1815 Rio Verde Foothills is already making the news at Scottsdale cut off its water the small town was having hauled in, citing the lack of available water from the Colorado River.
Love these videos and love your humour! Keep ‘em coming!!!
Love New Mexico! As an Oregonian living in Alabama, I can say that New Mexico is by far my favorite state to visit
I grew up in New Mexico and Raton (in the NE corner) is my hometown. I honestly believe why New Mexico isn't viewed more favorably by Americans is that many of them truly don't even know it's a state. Seriously. There's even a book called "One of Our Fifty is Missing" which is filled with stories and anecdotes about people not even realizing New Mexico is a state. They literally think it's not part of the U.S. 🙄
Puerto Rico has entered the chat
I was born and raised in Albuquerque in the 70s and had family I'd visit in Michigan, hilarious getting out of a speeding ticket because the cop was so embarrassed about not knowing the states, asking for a green card, etc.. at least a half dozen times
Lol I got pulled over in Kentucky once with NM plates, and the cop harassed me and demanded my green card AFTER I handed him a NM drivers license.
@@BoycottChinaa glad to know I’m not the only one that has happened to. Seriously, you shouldn’t be a cop if you’re too stupid to know all the states.
I got asked in Basic Training (in 2001) why I had joined the US Army instead of the Mexican army.
I moved here to New Mexico 13 months ago. I love it! Have wanted to move here for over 30 years. I'm retired now, this is my last move. Santa Fe has always been my favorite small city in the country. The state is absolutely beautiful. Land of Enchantment is the perfect way to descibe it. For me New Mexico food is the best in the world. I have only been half way around the world. I am sure nothing would change my mind . I love your videos Kyle!
Congrats!
New Mexico surely has the most beautiful license plates of all 50 states.
And each county has their name on it. Or at least used to.
I live in NC but have a second home in Silver City, NM, such a magical place. The outdoor activities, restaurants, art galleries and university make it unique, unlike a lot of small towns there is so much to do. It is a very active community, people of all ages and backgrounds due to WNMU. Best kept secret in NM.
Man I love this channel so much!
I lived in over 10 states and been to 48 and New Mexico is my favorite.
Good job showing what was happening in your area yesterday. I was doing some work outside at home yesterday, June 7th. It got so bad here in the Lock Haven area that I decided not to do any more in the afternoon. I didn't get any photos, but the trees about 100 yards away looked hazy.
It's colder than you'd think for a Sun Belt state.
Another cool video; both informative and interesting. When you showed a picture of the Roswell sign, the first things I would think of are UFOs and aliens. I wouldn’t first think of dairy production
Most of the metric data for economy is from before the NM oil boom. I remember the boom being quantified as "[New Mexico's] GDP grew from analogous to that of El Salvador to closer to that of Ireland". We went from being one of the poorest to one of the richest states by GPD only (still one of the poorest by per capita income).
Thanks for the vid!
Kyle - I always learn so much from your videos. Keep up the great work.
Thank you very much!
New Mexico's tech industry is growing and in fact some defense companies are in the Albuquerque area because of its climate. Of course my brother-in-law did minor in Spanish in part because he knew it would come in handy but he is an electrical engineer who traveled to New Mexico even after his entire department had been laid off following a hostile takeover. He did contract work for another firm that required him to go to an address practically down the street from where he had corrected manufacturing problems for his previous employer. Both were in Albuquerque.
As someone who was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, its kinda cool to visit NM. Albuquerque is a beautiful city and kind of reminds me of what Denver used to be like as a kid.
No major traffic, not over populated... Cool place to take a weekend vacation.
im not sure what you mean by no major traffic in ABQ. i40 gets plugged up daily with 2-3 accidents anywhere from coors to tramway. theres a ton of cars and a lot of them are operated by idiots.
I've only spent time in Ruidoso, but the landscapes that I've seen in New Mexico are one-of-a-kind beautiful. I would love to go see more of the state!
i think your comments are spot on about nm. having been a transplant from colorado myself one of the silent realities about nm is the poor health industry. translate those nm demographics to the number of the population that are on medicaid and medicare, while these programs are helpful they in fact dont attract the best medical professionals, and there seems to be a shortage of highly skilled medical staff and administrators. food for thought.
I've lived in both Colorado and Arizona (also California) - when I was young we moved to CO because CA was expensive. Went to college in Phoenix, I've lived here since. But some of my friends from CO, their family lives in Santa Fe. Such a beautiful town with unique culture and history - the whole state has fascinating history. Driving through New Mexico gave me a lot of joy, it's a beautiful state. Thanks for making this video, I've always been curious why NM wasn't experiencing population growth like AZ or CO. I want to get out of here eventually, the summers are brutal but I love the "winters" we have.
You da best my guy, I love your videos. If in time you find yourself needing a smile, I hope it comes to you.
Very interesting video. I moved to Arizona from Iowa (sick of awful winters) I think one other reason people may choose Denver or Phoenix over New Mexico that you didnt touch is sports. I'm a big Cubs fan and the two places I can see them the most are Chicago and AZ. Also New Mexico is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. In Phoenix we can go 2 hours north to snowy mountains or 3+ hours south to a beach in Mexico. Vegas, San Diego, and LA are all under 6 1/2 hour drives. Grand Canyon about 4. Not sure what New Mexico has to offer regarding that.
Depends what part of NM but we have the Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell Aliens, Ruidoso mountains, Alamogordo white sands, Los Alamos, and the north section is close to Colorado mountains and the southern end isn’t too far from south padre island..
Great outlook! Having traveled NM many times, it truly is the Land of Enchantment.
I'm from Colorado and I have been to New Mexico several times. I've enjoyed every visit. Most places in New Mexico don't have the energetic vitality that most Colorado towns and cities do, but it's still nice there. New Mexican food is positively brilliant and my favorite among all of the types of "Mexican," food. It has an earthy quality that pure Tex-Mex lacks. The landscapes are not for people who like abundant green forests and lots of ponds, rivers and lakes fed by regular rainfall, but for those that appreciate big blue skies and dry and mountainous western landscapes. I don't know enough about the culture there to comment on it, but I do know that, in much of the Albuquerque area, violence is an issue and there is a lot of high-volume drug trafficking taking place there. Like most places, the crime is centered in certain parts of town, but it is the truth right now. The violence and drug trafficking would probably go away, for the most part, if Americans stopped using and abusing illegal drugs on a mammoth scale.
I visited family last October, first time going on such a big road trip outside of the Midwest (from MN). Dude the mountains are INSANELY beautiful. The people are wonderful the food is amazing, Albuquerque specifically is so gorgeous and full of art. I happened to go while the balloon festival was happening it was just so surreal.
Great video Kyle. I just moved to New Mexico 2 weeks ago from California. I lived here for a few years when I was a teenager in the 90's. It is beautiful here in Las Cruces, NM. where I will grow my roots in this wonderful little city. Also New Mexico offers some nice perks for armed forces veterans.
I moved to Las Cruces from CA 2 years ago and while it is very nice here it is boring, not much to do ..
Boring is sometimes good. Less drama is better. There are lots of outdoor activities around here. Tortugas mountain is a nice mountain to hike that is close to the city.
@@jyanez1614 To each their own. BTW, boring is not the opposite of drama...
I watch this channel religiously thank u for gifting us with these videos Kyle🙏
We had two couple that we know who have relocated from Illinois to New Mexico for retirement. They stayed for 2-3 years and decided that they could not adjust to the culture and the high level of crime in the Albuquerque area. Personally, I found that retirement living is less costly in Arizona and there is a more tax-friendly environment than in New mexico. I would say that I could live in Las Cruces as it is close enough to El Paso for airline flights.
I think the flag of New Mexico is one of the best looking from a graphic design point of view, as well as a fascinating history.
We moved to Arizona from Alaska in 1975 I grew up off of the Carefree Highway north of Phoenix.
The issue with New Mexico is it doesn't offer a lot of places to move into. You will end up moving to Santa Fe or Albuquerque which happens to be the more violent town. While with Michigan, there are several other options beside Flint and Detroit.
I have 7 states left to visit and NM is one of them. Can't wait for that to come.
If you pass by Albuquerque, come by in October for Balloon Fiesta, it's almost required for me as a Burqueño to mention this.
@Emperor Kuzco Definitely would come to NM in October whether it's this year or next year.
I was planning to visit this April but weather was still too cold especially I was planning on sleeping in my truck.
WELL DONE! Well thought out and researched. I moved to NM from NYC because I wanted to retire someplace amazing, and I hit the jackpot. That things are less developed - expecially tourist destinations - is precisely why you can find yourself at some amazing places with virtually no crowds - yet equally exciting. That will change, of course, but right now, NM is unique in its offerings. However, it's big, and many/most outings are far apart making it necessary to plan wisely.
As a Native North Carolinian, Tourists from the Northeast and Californians have taken over my home state and driven the price of living sky high. I recently relocated to south Florida and unfortunately the southeast is filling up with non natives as inflation and Cost of Living is skyrocketing. I attend Grand Canyon University, and have thought about Phoenix, Arizona several times however, Arizona’s story seems to be the same of my home states. I hope to relocate to a remote Location in NM. I find the nature stunning. I’ve been a beach boy my entire life and dream of the desert Frontier. Maybe it’ll come true. Thanks for the vid!
NM looks like a really cool place as long as you manage expectations and learn to live with what it has to offer. If I ever get a chance to retire I think NM is at the top of the list
I moved to Santa Fe from NC & stayed 13 years. I knew no one and am anglo. I worked on the pueblos in northern NM. I loved the diversity, but there is definite underlying racism & distrust between all the races there- Mexican, Hispanic, Native American, Anglo. Santa Fe is known as the City Different. There is a saying that Santa Fe will either embrace you with both arms open or spit you out. You’ll know it when you’re no longer welcome there. I think the locals like to keep things as they are. It can be difficult to do business there. It’s a “manana” attitude, so people who move in with a very A-type personality will find themselves frustrated, if they don’t adapt to the slower pace here. Winters are cold. The spring is very windy. Summers are delicious. I loved being able to walk out my back door to free & gorgeous hiking on weekends. I miss that. The greenways in NC don’t compare. People here shop on weekends in strip shopping malls. Consumerism for entertainment.
I was born in Santa Fe. I left at age 15. I live in Albuquerque now. The city is not as pretty but the people are friendlier.
Since Santa Fe proper is too expensive for most Hispanic families to live in their ancestral homes it causes a lot of anger to whites. Understandably.
I wasn't expecting that joke at the end hahaha Visiting NM I was struck by the amazing sky. Growing up surrounded by mountains, being able to see for miles out with those wild clouds made me think about moving there.
Good job getting your DEI points with the couple stock photos. (Jokes aside, I love your videos!)
Thank goodness! As a Texan, I can say that growth is a nightmare and depressing.
Omfg, your summary near the end of this video is epic 🔥💯
I was stationed in NM, and there was nothing to do for young professionals. There needs to be something to draw people to the state. Arizona has Phoenix which has plenty to attract the younger crowd. The same is true for Colorado. BTW, I don't think it has anything to do with feeling uncomfortable when it comes to race. I felt perfectly safe there. Would I go back, probably not, but I'd go there before baking in Arizona.
Phoenix is great, but ohhh does it BAKE!!!
Hey Kyle... We lived in Las Cruces for 8 yrs then moved to CO when the Great Recession happened. We've lived here for 13 yrs now. My wife is Latin, I'm Anglo... It's very strange to say: We have felt more accepted in CO than we ever did in NM, go figure... But we do miss the food😄
Another factor is economic freedom. CO and AZ are high while NM is low. Economic performance is often tied to policies that incentivize economic growth, i.e., the freedom to easily engage in economic activity like start/operate a business.
Another reason for Colorado population boom between 2010 and 2020--it was one of the first state to legalize cannabis. At the time believe only 3 states but could be mistaken.
As an artist doing landscapes, horses and Native American culture in my oil paintings primarily, New Mexico is a magical amazing state. It's true what they say about 'The Light', here for artists. The adobe structures, culture, food (OMG the FOOD !!! ), is mind-blowing. Truly, New Mexico is a fabulous state. There's nothing like sitting in a beautiful soothing natural hot springs in the wilderness during the winter ... there are no words. I could go on for hours ... There is a reason we artists come from all over the world to experience New Mexico.
Good Stuff! Many thanks Geography King!
Another interesting geography video. Based on a single vacation trip, I found New Mexico to be a very cool place.
Adding to the reasons in this video, Geography By Geoff's video mentions Arizona's a much easier state to farm in because its river system is vastly more powerful than New Mexico's. Arizona grows alot of things: citrus, lettuce, and so on.
I love New Mexico, it's one of my favorite states. But I also love Arizona and Colorado for many similar reasons despite very different in the ways you highlighted.
Why do I love the Land of Enchantment?
I would say possibly the top reason is the historry/culture/tradition. There is a whole history there that most Americans don't learn about. Santa Fe, established in 1610(?) is the oldest continously inhabited European capitol city in the country. (Jamestown, VA was founded three years prior, but became subsequently abandoned later).
And Santa Fe despite being fewer than 100,000 people is among the top five cities for Art sales, after the obvious big city suspects like NYC, LA, etc.
Taos and Acoma Pueblos date back to the time of Europes gothic medieval cathedrals.
The whole Spaniard/Hispano culture with people whose families have been in northern NM since the 1600s/1700s is fascinating and mysterious. They were isolated from Mexicos core areas during the entire time of Spanish colonialism and developed an identity all their own.
Even with the poverty and lack of growth, the state has a higher # of PhDs per capita than any other state (due to the nuclear research labs in Los Alamos and Sandia) as well as the numerous astronomical facilities.
I think the fact that the state is Majority-minority and poor explains a big reason why the state is solidly democrat despite being rural and sparsely populated, but also since the White, middle class population has a disproportionate % of artists and scientists (who tend to be left leaning compared to corporate types) also explains it.
I typically like places that seem deeply rooted in tradition and towns and cities that look barely changed over the decades, while still being left leaning politically is my perfect combination. While I can understand being uncomfortable with an influx of a huge number of recent migrants to the US, I can't understand not being comfortable living among people who have been there for the entirety of US history and beyond simply on the basis of race.
I think the type or person who might love the mountains and wide open spaces of the northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, but find the politics of those states to conservative, and their winters too extreme would love New Mexico.
The state leans left due to the large numbers of public sector workers. The system has provided them public jobs through their connections to various Dem politicians in the state. It’s called Machine Politics. Similar to the northeast and cities such as Chicago in terms of how public positions are filled. Cronyism and Patronage are other terms to describe the phenomenon. So two main sectors- the public sector, and retail, hospitality etc. The oilfield provides good paying jobs outside those two sectors but it is uncertain and cyclical employment.
I need to get myself to NM! Long term I think I'd like to end up there
Yes Crime Rate is important to people who are thinking about moving.
i loved the unposed joys of moving section. made me giggle