Considering move to Artesia. Info please. (Roswell, Carlsbad: sales, amusement parks, crime)

[REmOjO]

I'm considering a lucrative job offer in Artesia, and I want to know more about the area. I have a young family.

Here's what I know so far. Correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Climate and geography: high (elevation 3,400'), flat barren desert; 4 moderate seasons with little snow & little rain & little humidity, but plenty of wind; Sacramento Mountains about 90 miles east; Brantley Reservoir about 25 miles south; Roswell about 40 miles north & Carlsbad about 40 miles south. I presume the soil is alkaline clay, but one post suggested that you could grow just about anything there.

2. The town is supported by FLETC training center and oil industry. There are oil rigs around and large refinery in/near town. The smell of the refinery can be noticeable, but not that bothersome.

3. Housing prices are surprisingly higher than might be expected...because of influx of residents training at FLETC?

4. Walmart is the primary goods store in Artesia. Higher retail shopping is hours of driving away. The nearest major airport is in Roswell. There is a hospital with basic services. There are no chain restaurants or casual dining, like Chili's.

5. Demographics: about 12,000 people: 52% white, 45% hispanic

6. The Bulldogs football program and its facilities are the envy of its neighbors with about 2 dozen state champion titles.

7. Like other places around NM, crime may be higher than the national average, but if you don't hang with that crowd it probably doesn't affect you much.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW?

A. What is the demographic in the schools? Same as the broader community? 52/45% white/hispanic? What is the demographic trend? Are classes filled with ESL kids? ratio? What about AP course credit in high school? Motivated, happy teachers, or low morale? Are the schools in decline, on the rise, struggling? Are drugs, truancy or discipline a problem in the schools? Are some (elementary) schools more preferrable than others? Tell me about the schools there in general.

B. Is it a good place to raise a young family? Do young, white families like being there? Or are they getting out of there as soon as they can? Do kids and teenagers like the place or are they bored out of their mind? What sports and other activities are available to keep them active and out of trouble? Where's the nearest major amusement park? Water amusement parks?

C. What sort of trees & bushes grow in the area in home landscapes and in the desert? & what is the soil like?

D. What is the property tax rate? Sales tax rate? Income tax rate?

E. How much is a typical utility bill for 2,000 sqft house? Is broadband internet available? cable? Which wireless phone services?

F. Are there weird or corrupt politics or business in town? Any other undesirable, scary or weird things about the area?

G. Is it difficult to get contractors, builders, supplies, skilled labor to build a custom home? More costly to build custom? Are newer tract homes available? What sort of foundations do homes have there? Slab? with piers? Is there currently a housing glut or is housing in short supply or normal supply? Do folks go to Roswell for Home Depot/Lowe's type stuff or is the Walmart or other retailers well stocked?

H. What is the typical resident like? Redneck or 1st/2nd generation latin immigrant?

I. list of worst pests: black widows? scorpions? roaches? wasps? rattlesnakes? others?

J. What's the nicest casual dining in Artesia?

K. What do you like most about Artesia? What do you like least?

[TKO]

Originally Posted by REmOjO

WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW?

A. What is the demographic in the schools? Same as the broader community? 52/45% white/hispanic? What is the demographic trend? Are classes filled with ESL kids? ratio? What about AP course credit in high school? Motivated, happy teachers, or low morale? Are the schools in decline, on the rise, struggling? Are drugs, truancy or discipline a problem in the schools? Are some (elementary) schools more preferrable than others? Tell me about the schools there in general.

>>I've spent time working in Artesia back in the mid 90's but I'll leave comments on the school system to someone who lived there. Their HS football team has a long history of being the class of AAA.

B. Is it a good place to raise a young family? Do young, white families like being there? Or are they getting out of there as soon as they can? Do kids and teenagers like the place or are they bored out of their mind? What sports and other activities are available to keep them active and out of trouble? Where's the nearest major amusement park? Water amusement parks?

>>I think in a small town way it would be fine to raise kids. With the interwebz and the general movement from place to place these days it will still have some of the influence of the outside world. Sports would be the best thing to get them involved in. There isn't a lot to do which is common even in bigger cities to some extent. No city except Alb in NM is big enough to really provide a diversity of activities.

C. What sort of trees & bushes grow in the area in home landscapes and in the desert? & what is the soil like?

>>Artesia is in the Pecos River valley so it has good soil and plenty of water (usually). You'll see large trees of all varieties in town. Lots of non-bearing mulberry in the established neighborhoods. Nice park with grass and trees downtown too and the campus of NMMI is pretty. Soil is very good as evidenced by the large ag influence on the local economy. Newer housing will probably have xeriscape landscaping with the use of rocks and desert plants. But it'll be a mix. Natural habitat would've been cottonwood bosque in the valley and arid plains above.

D. What is the property tax rate? Sales tax rate? Income tax rate?

>>Property tax rates are low throughout NM. In Cruces we pay about 1% of full value a year. Not sure what the rates are in Eddy County but you could probably google and find out. They're likely to be lower if anything. Income tax in NM is pretty low as well. I pay about $1300 a year on a government employee salary. Local sales tax you ought to be able to google for as well.

E. How much is a typical utility bill for 2,000 sqft house? Is broadband internet available? cable? Which wireless phone services?

Local folks will be better able to answer the rest of your questions. Critters would be black widows and rattle snakes that could be real trouble and scorpions and centipedes nasty but not soo bad. You won't find any of them to be a real problem. They're around and as long as you're aware there won't be a problem. They don't want to bite you any more than they want to be bit. That said if they're around the house let 'em have it. This has been a source controversy on the boards lately but neither one is endangered so heck with it.

Overall, based on my general knowledge of small town NM, I think you'll find it easier to fall in with other newcomers at first. There is a bit of a divide between locals and newcomers in most NM towns that have been experiencing the increase of out of towners. Not too bad though. I think if you go in knowing it's a small place with most the of the amenities of a city far away and you're cool with that the beauty of the surrounding areas (Sacramento mountains are less than an hour west and the plains have more than you'd realize on them plus the river and lakes) you're going to really enjoy it! Good luck!

[REmOjO]

details, please, anyone.

I especially would like to get info on the schools there.

[highdesertmutz]

I brake for Artesians!

[Goodpasture]

No idea about the schools....we used to whip them regularly in football and basketball, but that was in the 60's.

Artesia has something better than Chili's (unless you like noise and mediocre food).....it's called La Fonda and we would drive the 45 miles from Roswell at least twice a month just to have lunch there.

The Sacramentos are west not east. 90 miles east is Mescalero Ridge part of the largest forest in the world......except all the trees are mesquite and not over 6' tall. Southwest is the Guadalupes (where Calsbad Caverns is located) Both ranges are good hunting and have lots of pinon to pick.

I would like it there, but then I always liked the Pecos Valley........

[hyw60 -kid]

smell of the refinery can be noticeable, but not that bothersome. this is a bit of an understatement .
The smell will wake you out of a dead sleep even with a pillow over your face.

the refinery is right smack dab in the MIDDLE OF TOWN.
I lived there with young children for about 4 months before the smell , the huge black cockroaches and gang banger crime ran me off.

but I could be biased coming from a rural area such as I do into the dirtiest smallest cockroach and gang infected place I have ever had the misfortune to land in. IMHO

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by hyw60 -kid

smell of the refinery can be noticeable, but not that bothersome. this is a bit of an understatement .
The smell will wake you out of a dead sleep even with a pillow over your face.

the refinery is right smack dab in the MIDDLE OF TOWN.
I lived there with young children for about 4 months before the smell , the huge black cockroaches and gang banger crime ran me off.

but I could be biased coming from a rural area such as I do into the dirtiest smallest cockroach and gang infected place I have ever had the misfortune to land in. IMHO

Yep the smell is disgusting and the flies are horrible too. I lived in Carlsbad but had friends who were stationed there and when I went to visit the flies were disgusting.

[ajzjmsmom]

For the poster who said NMMI was very pretty they are correct however NMMI is in Roswell not Artesia. On one end you have Carlsbad which has a plethra of trees and on the other end you have Roswell which also has trees and in the middle you have Artesia which looks like the desert.

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by REmOjO

WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW?

A. What is the demographic in the schools? Same as the broader community? 52/45% white/hispanic? What is the demographic trend? Are classes filled with ESL kids? ratio? What about AP course credit in high school? Motivated, happy teachers, or low morale? Are the schools in decline, on the rise, struggling? Are drugs, truancy or discipline a problem in the schools? Are some (elementary) schools more preferrable than others? Tell me about the schools there in general.

B. Is it a good place to raise a young family? Do young, white families like being there? Or are they getting out of there as soon as they can? Do kids and teenagers like the place or are they bored out of their mind? What sports and other activities are available to keep them active and out of trouble? Where's the nearest major amusement park? Water amusement parks?

C. What sort of trees & bushes grow in the area in home landscapes and in the desert? & what is the soil like?

D. What is the property tax rate? Sales tax rate? Income tax rate?

E. How much is a typical utility bill for 2,000 sqft house? Is broadband internet available? cable? Which wireless phone services?

F. Are there weird or corrupt politics or business in town? Any other undesirable, scary or weird things about the area?

G. Is it difficult to get contractors, builders, supplies, skilled labor to build a custom home? More costly to build custom? Are newer tract homes available? What sort of foundations do homes have there? Slab? with piers? Is there currently a housing glut or is housing in short supply or normal supply? Do folks go to Roswell for Home Depot/Lowe's type stuff or is the Walmart or other retailers well stocked?

H. What is the typical resident like? Redneck or 1st/2nd generation latin immigrant?

I. list of worst pests: black widows? scorpions? roaches? wasps? rattlesnakes? others?

J. What's the nicest casual dining in Artesia?

K. What do you like most about Artesia? What do you like least?

I'm afraid all the details you are seeking you may not recieved as we never see anyone from artesia post on here although hopefully a lurker from there is reading your post to answer your questions.

That being said it's around 15,000 population with Roswell at 50,000 population 40 miles north with major shopping, hospitals, university etc..and Carlsbad at 30,000 population 30 miles south so there's easily 100,000 people in that 50 mile radius.

Also the Sacramento mountains are closer than you've been told as they start to appear at around 65 miles west of artesia as the range is about 30 miles wide. South of artesia is a large reservior for fishing and water recreation (boating, jet ski etc) i.e. Brantley Reservior and just west of Roswell is Bottomless lakes state park as the Pecos river runs east of all those communities there.

When i was last there several years ago it really looked clean and modern as they've really renovated the main areas of town and it seemed very cozy to me. As for schools contact the NM Dept of Education and ask them for the district report card and any other questions about the school district there.
New Mexico Public Education Department

The feel out there to me is a very 'blue collarish'' and mostly conservative laid back and close knit community and that they have alot of pride in their town of 15,000. At least that was my take when i've visited it over the years.

Anyway that's my info to pass along.

6/3

[TKO]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

The Sacramentos are west not east.

I said they were west?