Las Cruces vs Santa Fe
Las Cruces, New Mexico versus Santa Fe, New Mexico: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Las Cruces and Santa Fe score about the same overall (48 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Las Cruces | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $51k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $53k |
| Home Value | $197k | $371k |
| Monthly Rent | $907 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.75% | 0.51% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 7.62% | 7.62% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.31% | 11.21% |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.4 in | 14.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.0 in | 20.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 332 days | 319 days |
| Summer Humidity | 50°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 40 days | 38 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 69.8 | 18.7 |
| Air Quality | 29 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 41.1 | 59.8 |
| Violent Crime | 2555/100k | 2038/100k |
| Property Crime | 5350/100k | 4889/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 111,273 | 87,617 |
| Median Age | 31.8 | 44.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.56 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+19 | D+55 |
| White (%) | 31.4% | 40.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.4% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 61.7% | 53.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 12.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 45 mi | 55 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.7% | 87.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.18 | 58.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Las Cruces or Santa Fe more affordable?
- Las Cruces has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Las Cruces's $45k and Santa Fe's $53k. Median rent is $907 in Las Cruces versus $1k in Santa Fe.
- Is Las Cruces or Santa Fe safer?
- Santa Fe has the lower violent crime rate. Las Cruces reports 2555/100k and Santa Fe reports 2038/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Las Cruces or Santa Fe?
- The median home value is $197k in Las Cruces and $371k in Santa Fe, so homes are more affordable in Las Cruces.