Considering Las Cruces

114,139

Population

Sunny Days: 294

95100 Affordability

85100 Schools

75100 Diversity

65100 Safety

See all the facts!

LookyLOO Review of Las Cruces

Las Cruces was recently ranked the number one college town in New Mexico and the number four college town in the U.S. for cost of living. The city is the home of New Mexico State University and as such gets the benefits of the culture, bars/restaurants, energy, and youth population that other cities its size do not. Smaller cities can be great for affordability but lack the social firepower of a college town. College towns can have the firepower but be pricey. With Las Cruces, you get the best combo.

We get that if you’re considering moving to a city at the southern end of New Mexico, basically a long two-iron from the border, you probably know that it is going to be toasty. But just a reminder, this is a desert town. The heat is unrelenting (as is the dry climate and dust storms), so please visit in the summer before making the call, unless you’re moving from a comparably roasting city.

Lifestyle

Las Cruces has a lot going on for a small city and the university plays a big role in providing those opportunities. There are surprisingly good eats and entertainment options both downtown and near the school. While it isn’t the only cuisine, Mexican restaurants are particularly good. There are year-round festivals and art shows, as well as talks and performances nine months a year on campus. Perhaps more important to some are the outdoor experiences of hiking and mountain biking that are available just outside the city. You get a nice mix of in-town social experiences and outdoor activities for such a small city.

If you want to know what people do in Las Cruces check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Las Cruces and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Worklife

If you don't have a job all set up in the education or health systems then it is safest to move here if you can work from home. The economy is built around the schools, the health system for the locals, and lower-paying service jobs supporting students, locals, and tourists. WFH’ers or retirees will do fine here but otherwise, it's a tough economy for white-collar workers.

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Retirement Cookie Jar

If you’re looking to maximize your retirement or WFH bucks in a small college town this city can work. Live here and travel when you need to escape and locals say you can pull it off. You have to understand the severity of the weather but if you’re considering south Texas, Arizona, or southern New Mexico then you’re presumably sufficiently warned.

Reviews of Las Cruces from Locals

jazerac
10mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

It's becoming a big little city.

Pros: Lots of growth happening here so if you are entrepreneur minded there is a lot of money to be made here because the majority of locals just don't have the ambition to start businesses.

With the growth will come things to do. So this place will get better and better over the next decade. Again, a great opportunity to invest here. I am.

Very very nice people here overall. It takes a little time to get used to the laid back culture and sense of "living without a care in the world attitude" but you get used to it.

Lots of non water related outdoor activities to do but you have yo acclimate to the sun up here. It can get brutal and will really wipe you out if your in it too long.

Weather decent overall year round. There is a couple months where it's hot as hell but otherwise it's decent.

For more reviews of what living in Las Cruces is like from locals, check out The Reviews.