This Small Town In New Mexico Was Named One Of The Most Affordable Places To Live In the Nation
By Courtnie Erickson|Published October 29, 2021
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Courtnie Erickson
Author
From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.
When choosing a place to live, there are several factors that an individual must consider. However, one factor that should be at the top of almost every wishlist is the affordability of the area. Realtor.com released a list of the 10 most affordable towns in the country. Now, these aren’t just random places, these are towns where you’d actually consider settling down and living for years to come. And to no surprise of ours, Realtor.com named Los Alamos as one of the most affordable places to live in the nation.
Realtor.com didn’t just choose locations out of a hat. Rather they looked at towns in the United States with a population of less than 50,000 and compared these communities using very specific data points.
Some of the data considered include median home list prices on Realtor.com, ownership costs as a percentage of the household income, year-over-year list price changes, unemployment rates, etc. You can learn more about the specifics of this research here.
Los Alamos was named one of the top 10 in the entire country and is the only town in New Mexico to make the list. This town is located in Northern New Mexico and has a population of just over 12,000 individuals.
According to Realtor.com, Los Alamos is one of the most expensive places to live on its list, but in comparison to other towns, particularly in nearby areas such as Santa Fe, it’s quite affordable.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory employs a large percentage of the individuals who live in this New Mexico town and it pays pretty well. In fact, according to Realtor.com, the median household income in Los Alamos is $121,324.
In comparison, in 2020, the median household income in the United States was $67,521.
The median listing price for an average home in Los Alamos is $307,500, which may seem a little steep but compared to Santa Fe’s average home price of more than $470,00, it is quite an attractive number.
Plus, Los Alamos is the perfect place for lovers of the outdoors. While it is easy to spend a large portion of your income in larger cities, living in an outdoor lover's paradise means much of your entertainment, adventures, and experiences are free.
Some of the more popular attractions near this small town in New Mexico include Bandelier National Monument, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. There are also dozens of hiking and biking trails within a short drive from this beautiful town.
So, what do you think about Realtor.com’s findings? Do you agree that Los Alamos is one of the most affordable places to live in the United States? Would you live here? Share with us your thoughts in the comments.
Do you want to learn more about Bandelier National Monument? Check out this article for the ins and outs of this fascinating area.
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