Best Counties for Retirement in New Mexico 2026

32 counties ranked by health care, safety, tax burden, and affordability.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in New Mexico

1Los Alamos County

All 32 Retirement-Ranked Counties in New Mexico

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Los Alamos County, NM	77	68.5
2	Harding County, NM	74	71.2
3	Grant County, NM	71	61.5
4	Catron County, NM	69	64
5	Lincoln County, NM	69	58.3
6	Rio Arriba County, NM	68	60.6
7	Mora County, NM	66	63.5
8	Luna County, NM	64	59
9	Sandoval County, NM	62	50.1
10	Union County, NM	62	60.8
11	Guadalupe County, NM	58	60.1
12	Colfax County, NM	57	54.4
13	Socorro County, NM	56	54.4
14	Taos County, NM	56	48.2
15	Cibola County, NM	55	52.9
16	Hidalgo County, NM	53	54.1
17	Quay County, NM	52	53.3
18	Otero County, NM	52	44.4
19	Sierra County, NM	51	53.1
20	San Miguel County, NM	51	45.9
21	De Baca County, NM	48	58.6
22	Roosevelt County, NM	44	41.9
23	Torrance County, NM	44	42.1
24	Santa Fe County, NM	44	35.3
25	Curry County, NM	36	33.5
26	Valencia County, NM	36	31.9
27	Eddy County, NM	36	36
28	Chaves County, NM	34	36.1
29	Lea County, NM	33	36.1
30	San Juan County, NM	32	33.2
31	Bernalillo County, NM	30	27.6
32	McKinley County, NM	21	29.2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in New Mexico?

Based on our analysis of health care access, safety, property taxes, and cost of living, Los Alamos County ranks as the top retirement county in New Mexico with a retirement score of 77.

How many counties in New Mexico are ranked for retirement?

We rank 32 counties in New Mexico for retirement suitability, scoring each on health care access (35%), safety (30%), property tax (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.