Best Counties for Families in New Mexico 2026

32 counties ranked by schools, safety, income, and affordability.

Top 5 Family Counties in New Mexico

1Los Alamos County

All 32 Family-Ranked Counties in New Mexico

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Los Alamos County, NM	70	68.5
2	Harding County, NM	61	71.2
3	Sandoval County, NM	58	50.1
4	Mora County, NM	57	63.5
5	Rio Arriba County, NM	55	60.6
6	Union County, NM	54	60.8
7	Lincoln County, NM	52	58.3
8	Grant County, NM	51	61.5
9	Luna County, NM	51	59
10	Catron County, NM	50	64
11	Cibola County, NM	50	52.9
12	Guadalupe County, NM	48	60.1
13	De Baca County, NM	46	58.6
14	Colfax County, NM	45	54.4
15	Socorro County, NM	45	54.4
16	Quay County, NM	43	53.3
17	Sierra County, NM	42	53.1
18	Hidalgo County, NM	41	54.1
19	Taos County, NM	36	48.2
20	Otero County, NM	31	44.4
21	McKinley County, NM	30	29.2
22	Lea County, NM	30	36.1
23	San Miguel County, NM	30	45.9
24	Roosevelt County, NM	29	41.9
25	Eddy County, NM	29	36
26	San Juan County, NM	26	33.2
27	Santa Fe County, NM	24	35.3
28	Torrance County, NM	24	42.1
29	Bernalillo County, NM	23	27.6
30	Chaves County, NM	22	36.1
31	Valencia County, NM	19	31.9
32	Curry County, NM	17	33.5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in New Mexico?

Based on our analysis of school quality, safety, income, and cost of living, Los Alamos County ranks as the top family county in New Mexico with a family score of 70.

How many counties in New Mexico are ranked for families?

We rank 32 counties in New Mexico for family suitability, scoring each on school quality (35%), safety (30%), income (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.