Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico.
The city is unique and known as the southwest’s cultural center.
It is famous for its unique architecture, the hot air balloon festival, and watermelon-colored mountains.
But what about living in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
The city is often overlooked by its neighbor: Santa Fe.
But there are many reasons to love Albuquerque.
In this article, we will review some of the advantages and disadvantages of living in the largest city in the state of New Mexico.
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Pros of Living in Albuquerque, NM
1. Southern hospitality
The first thing you will notice about people in the south or southwest is their southern hospitality.
Residents of this city are genuinely warm and welcoming to newcomers and visitors.
People are interested in you and how you are doing.
Neighbors go out of their way to help each other.
Strangers are friendly and greet each other on the street.
The list goes on and on.
The residents of Albuquerque are charming, much like the folks you’d find in a small town.
Everyone is charitable because this is the way of life in the south.
Unlike bigger, more metropolitan cities that can quickly feel cold and unkind, people from this city are kind and helpful, always looking out for each other.
You could say it’s a city with a small-town feel.
Of course, that’s not to say you won’t find the odd grumpy person.
2. Climate
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is set in the desert and has a desert climate.
As you can expect, the city experiences sunny days for most of the year.
This city’s hottest month of the year is July, which sees an average of around 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
The city averages just under 300 sunny days per year, almost double the national average.
The coldest month of the year is December when temperatures can quickly drop into the twenties.
There are plenty of warm days throughout the year in this city for residents to get outdoors and enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
In addition, this is an excellent city for those who would like to invest in solar power for their homes.
The city sees, on average, 11 inches of snow and rain annually.
That’s nearly half the national average of 38 and 28 inches, respectively.
3. Great outdoors
Much like its neighbor, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, New Mexico, offers its residents plenty of outdoor action.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you will appreciate what this city offers.
Due to the excellent weather, you can enjoy an entire exciting outdoor life.
This is one of the best cities in the southwest for backpackers and hikers.
There are many trails and paths that you can follow of various degrees of complexity to keep you entertained and active.
But that’s not all.
The city is surrounded by several beautiful lakes where you can go camping, hiking, biking, or fishing.
Spend the weekend outdoors with the family.
If you’ve never been skiing before, you will certainly start when you move to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
There are a few exceptional ski resorts just outside the city where you can spend the day or even the weekend.
Apart from these, there are several beautiful parks and breathtaking scenery around the city.
Living in this city is well worth the move if you love the outdoors and beautiful scenery.
4. Food and wine
New Mexico is one of the great wine producers in the United States.
Do you love wine?
Are you a wine connoisseur?
This city has several excellent wineries you can visit to sample the outstanding wine produced in this region.
When it comes to cuisine, the city does not disappoint.
Thanks to the city’s diversity, you will find many fabulous restaurants that offer delicious cuisine from cultures all around the world.
The city is buzzing with outstanding restaurants that offer French, Italian, American-bistro, and Mexican cuisine.
You won’t need to travel far to find great food.
The city is a foodie and wine lover’s dream!
5. Manageable traffic
One of the most significant drawbacks of big metropolitan cities is the traffic.
It’s always a problem to find parking, traffic is always heavily congested, and you lose hours of your life just waiting in traffic to get home or to work.
You might think that Albuquerque, NM, is the largest city in the state, and due to its population size, there may be a lot of traffic and congestion, but you are mistaken.
Due to the actual size of the city, the roads do not experience that much traffic, and there is little congestion on the roads.
In fact, according to a report, residents of this city only lose about eight hours of their year sitting in traffic.
That’s not bad when you look at more prominent cities like New York and Chicago that have nightmare situations regarding traffic and traffic congestion.
6. Housing is affordable
When you calculate the cost of living in an area, housing usually contributes a large portion to the cost of living.
That’s because the cost of housing is usually your most significant expense.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the housing prices are very reasonable, making the cost of living relatively low compared to the national average.
Take Santa Fe, for example.
This is the neighboring city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Housing prices have soared in Santa Fe over the last few years, making the cost of living skyrocket in the city.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the other hand, has not had this problem.
The average price per home in this city is $308K, and a three-bedroom rental will cost you around $900 monthly.
That’s below the national average.
The median salary in this region is also very competitive, making it relatively easy to afford a home.
Cons of Living in Albuquerque, New Mexico
1. Poor or run-down infrastructure
It’s a great city, but the city does need improvement and advancement to its current infrastructure.
Many rural roads in and around the city are in such disarray that they pose potentially life-threatening situations and require repair or replacement.
Sadly, as things stand now, this is not happening.
This means that many roads in and around the city are extremely dangerous to drive on.
The problem extends to many of the bridges in the city, which are in such a bad state that they are considered some of the worst in the US.
It is estimated that the poor road conditions in the city and the state are costing taxpayers a whopping 3 billion dollars a year.
It’s not just that the road conditions are dangerous and may cause life-threatening situations; it’s also that these conditions affect the state of private vehicles that travel on these roads.
2. Too hot
We did highlight that the climate was an advantage because there are so many sunny days that allow residents to get out and do more fun things.
However, this is a desert climate, and temperatures can quickly soar well into the 90s during the summer.
This will take some time for residents not used to this kind of heat.
The warmest part of the year is June through September, reaching its peak during July.
The weather only starts to come down during October again.
3. The job market
The city has a relatively high unemployment rate.
If you plan to move here, you may want to secure a job first.
The unemployment rate in the city is 7.4% while the national average currently sits at 6%.
On a more positive note, the city has seen some job growth in the job market over the past year, but whether this is enough to lift the unemployment rate is yet to be seen.
4. Drug crime
You can expect crime to increase whenever there is a high unemployment rate.
The city is currently grappling with a drug problem, and drug crimes are rising.
One of the first things you’ll notice in a city with high unemployment, low wages, and a lack of job opportunities is that property crime starts to soar as addicts try to find ways to support their habit.
This is the ugly side of drug addiction.
You will likely become a property crime victim in this city due to rampant drug use.
Pros and Cons of Living in Albuquerque, NM – Summary Table
| Pros of Living in Albuquerque, NM | Cons of Living in Albuquerque, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| 1. Southern hospitality | 1. Poor or run-down infrastructure |
| 2. Climate | 2. Too hot |
| 3. Great outdoors | 3. The job market |
| 4. Food and wine | 4. Drug crime |
| 5. Manageable traffic | |
| 6. Housing is affordable |
Albuquerque Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Albuquerque Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Albuquerque, NM, a nice place to live?
Apart from the problems experienced, some worse than others, this city is a pleasant place to live.
There is a lot to see and do in the city.
If you plan to move here, you may want to secure a job first and calculate the cost of living.
The great thing about many of the outdoor activities in the city is that they are free.
What is the top tourist attraction in this city?
There are a lot of tourist attractions in the city.
The national parks are an absolute must-visit.
There are several ski resorts and facilities around the city that you must visit during winter, and several historical sites are well worth the visit.
For example, the Sandia Peak Tramway is a wonderful experience you should try when visiting the city.
What food is Albuquerque, New Mexico, known for?
As the state’s name suggests, one of the cuisine types this city is most well-known for is its Mexican food.
Red and green chilis are very common, and you’ll find them in most dishes.
If you love Mexican or native American food, you will enjoy the variety offered to residents.
There’s a big homeless problem where you get assaulted by them, car stolen is higher then anywhere else the biggest drug trafficking problem teen pregnancy is higher than anywhere else cop are scared to do there jobs because of DOJ in the city, your home or business will get destroyed by the homeless at least once and car thieves in the city.