IntelliMoveTake the quiz →
Tiny town

Living in Mescalero, NM

Mescalero is a tiny town of 832 people in Otero County, New Mexico. It's about 80 miles from Las Cruces, NM and 303 miles from Tucson, AZ, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 77°F and winter highs 44°F, with about 33 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $43k and rent runs about $260 a month.

832people
$43kTypical home
$260/moRent
77° / 44°Summer / winter
33"Snow
309Sunny days
60Rain/snow days

Is Mescalero right for you?

Take the 5-minute quiz and see your match — and how it stacks up against 34,000 other places.

Take the quiz →Open in the app

Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 832
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 47 people per sq mi
  • 303 mi to Tucson, AZ
  • 80 mi to Las Cruces, NM
  • 20 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $43k (≈$273/mo)
  • Median rent $260/mo
  • Median household income $24k
  • Property tax about 2.1% of value
  • 10.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 77°F
  • Winter highs around 44°F
  • Dry summers (dew point 46°F)
  • 309 sunny days a year (156 totally clear)
  • 56 cloudy days a year
  • 15 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 60 days a year with rain or snow
  • 33" of snow a year
  • 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • 3 days a year over 100°F
  • 5 nights a year below 10°F
  • Breezy

Safety

  • About average violent crime (350 per 100k), county-wide
  • Low property crime (1,240 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 45
  • 25% of households have kids
  • 17% are 65 or older
  • 13% have a college degree
  • Mixed community
  • 2% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 21 min
  • 4% walk or take transit to work
  • 74 mi to ROW airport
  • 97 mi to ELP (major hub)
  • 103 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 62% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1978
  • 74% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Mountain country
  • Elevation 8,052 ft
  • 445 mi to the ocean
  • 78 mi to a big lake
  • 12 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 14 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 12 mi to the nearest campground
  • 11 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 31 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 3 bars within 25 mi
  • 9 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 8 museums within 25 mi
  • 3 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 82 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 37% of New Mexico districts (reading)
  • 13 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 17 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 146 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 16 mi to the nearest vet
  • 17 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 6 congregations per 10k people
  • 17 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Otero County: R+27 in 2024
  • New Mexico: D+6 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • Very low tornado risk
  • High wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Very low flood risk
  • High drought risk
  • Low winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Mescalero

More places in New Mexico →