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. 




LookyLOO Review of Las Cruces

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](https://www.lascrucescvb.org/las-cruces-events/).

We highly recommend visiting Las Cruces and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) 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](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Lifestyle 

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. 


Worklife 

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. 


Retirement Cookie Jar

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**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](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/las-cruces/reviews).

Reviews of Las Cruces from Locals

Downtown is the starting point for any young professional or couple that wants to be within walking distance of the greatest concentration of restaurants, bars, cafes and activities (including skating). There aren’t many homes but plenty of apartments and condos. If you work downtown you get the double-benefit of walking to work. You’re about 4 miles to the university from here so you get the action but not the college student shenanigans. 

If you’re a student, or want to be in the midst of the madness then look at the University neighborhood or just south of that in Mesilla Park. University has the greatest density of off-campus students and plenty of affordable rentals. Mesilla Park also has students but they tend to be more graduate students looking for a bit more quiet but still walkable/bikeable to campus. 
- Downtown
- University
- Mesilla Park


Young Professionals/College Students 

Downtown

One of the favorite neighborhoods for families is the Elks area. It’s near the Three Crosses hospital so you get excellent, close care for yourself and the little ones. It’s extremely safe but also known as affordable for those just starting out or looking for reasonable prices. You’re near great hiking and biking trails and also have several parks so the kiddos and the doggos have plenty of room to play. 

If you want to be close to the action check out Mesilla Park. Older, historic homes and walking distance to a big fun commercial district. You do get some students, but mostly graduate students as this isn’t the dense University neighborhood. Mesilla Park kind of works as its own city, with parks and schools and restaurants/bars and all just a few minutes from downtown if you want to hit a bigger scene on weekends or whenever. Mesilla is also close to Arrowhead ECHS (in University Park right next door), one of the best high schools in the city, in case you’re ready for that or want to keep it in mind for later years. 
- Elks
- Mesilla Park
- Picacho Hills
- Northeast


Families

Elks

Las Cruces

**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.

**leftcoastpunk21**
10mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I lived in Las Cruces for 12 years. Moved there at 22. Like any city, it has crime but really the crime isn't that bad compared to other places.

Great place for families and it has the small town feel without being such a small town. El Paso is 30 min away and you have access to both interstates to leave the city a lot easier.

I moved away from Las Cruces 3 years ago and my husband and I are seriously thinking of moving back within the next year.

**BootsieBunny**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

My family moved to Las Cruces soon after my 4th birthday in 1992 from Indiana. I grew up there and love visiting every chance I get as my parents still live in our family home.

Las Cruces is a surprisingly old city. I love that you can visit places that are older then the US itself. I miss the Whole Enchilada fiesta and served it several times when I was in middle school. Cruces is a weird city with a mix of families, college students, and retirees, so despite having the best drug prices in the country because of the location between the Mexican boarder and the Boarder Patrol, it's still a really safe town. I used to go walking around in the middle of the night. Until I got worried about mountain lions in the neighborhood, but I think that's just in my head.

Old Mesilla is awesome, and home to the oldest bar in the US, I'm pretty sure, has haunted places, and there's a marry-go-round at the park there!! The downtown mall has one of the best farmers markets I've ever been to, even if in recent years it's more hippie artists than farmers, but you can get fresh produce from around the valley all the same.

The summers are HOT, but if there is a monsoon it's incredible. My favorite summer memories are sitting outside and watching storms roll in from the south west as these huge menacing clouds, or in the winter then the clouds slowly roll over the mountain like the Great Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke. And the smell... Oh god, the smell.... never smelled this smell of rain anywhere else.

Las Cruces is best kept secret in New Mexico. Even the New Mexican government leaves us out of things that are for the state, like, the train doesn't come here. There's no fast, easy way to get to Las Cruces to Albuquerque other than the highway. People from the northern part of the state shit all over Cruces, but the thing is, Cruces is such a different type of town. Santa Fe calls itself "A City Different" but it's a bunch of hippipes who came here as adults who don't really get what it is to be New Mexican.

**DominusMortis89**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Tons of interesting hiking trails, such as the Prehistoric Track ways trail that has fossils, Dripping Srpings Trail with the old sanitarium and hotel in the canyon, and Soledad Canyon with beautiful views and a small waterfall.

Food is pretty decent. I wouldn't say there are many high-end places, but the green chile is what the region is known for. You can find some in Mesilla, along with a bit of history from the old west and Spanish settlement.

A few breweries are in town with pretty good beer. I personally like Bosque best, but they are the only one that consistently has cider, and I don't enjoy beer much.

Finally, the town has a lot of community events year-round, unlike many other places I've lived. The chile fest, wine fests, car shows, farmer's markets, renn faire, and a lot more.

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Three Crosses

Looklyloo Score: 88