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Like any town, there's good areas to live and bad. You can't deny that the areas North of Vegas with the mountain ranchettes are gorgeous. Personally, I'd be more afraid to live in New Jersey. Or ABQ.
I really am enchanted by both Alb & Santa Fe just can't quite get a sense about the employability factors there directly associated with myself and my husbands filed of work. A county life is just what we seek but that also needs to be joined with healthcare settings for me to work and higher educations settings for my husband. Any thoughts on these two employment factors related to a town in New Mexico!? I appreciate your feedback! What are some of your reasons for wanting to relocate?
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We are seeking a quieter, less NJ lifestyle but also looking for help/ideas as far as the best towns to live in where we also have access to hospitals colleges/community colleges where we would be best able to find work!
A "county life" in New Mexico is certainly much different than pretty much the the entire U.S. east coast.
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What are some of your reasons for wanting to relocate?
I came out to New Mexico the first time in 1968. I had several other business trips to the great southwest over the years. ABQ was always on the top of my list as well as some parts of Arizona. My wife was offered a good job transfer to ABQ in 1998. She was on her way withing 7 days. I followed about 6 months later.
You both probably have a better chance of employment in the ABQ (Albuquerque) area.
ABQ is the largest city in New Mexico, 550,000+ population and is adjacent to Rio Rancho with 90,000+ population and three new hospitals. You might seriously consider the ABQ area.
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Please help! Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
You haven't mentioned ever being in this area. You might want to seriously consider a visit... New Mexico is not for everyone.
Like any town, there's good areas to live and bad. You can't deny that the areas North of Vegas with the mountain ranchettes are gorgeous. Personally, I'd be more afraid to live in New Jersey. Or ABQ.
Doesn't every town put their projects in town?
Well, I don't know, not every town has the projects
Yeah, most of the state is gorgeous, I can't deny that, that's why I love it. However, we cannot deny the crime stats either. For someone with a certain lifestyle, places like Las Vegas, Espanola etc. can be downright scary. That's all I meant, more of a warning for the OP to do their research. Someone else already told them - come for a visit first!
With the backgrounds you discuss, you should check out Las Vegas (NM) The state mental hospital is there as well as Highlands University which offers, among other things, social worker concentrations. It's a super cute town, small, with nearby beautiful country living. There is also a general hospital (Alta Vista)
The locals can be...........colorful. There's also Armand Hammer World College which is gorgeous. The weather is going to be a little cooler in the winter than ABQ but not by much. Summers are more pleasant, too.
I was going to suggest the same thing.
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Originally Posted by LordyLordy
Super cute with twice the average crime rate and projects right in town, no?
Uhm No! According to this very website (citydata) the average crime rate is 301.1. Las Vegas, NM crime rate is 364.4. So, no not twice the average crime rate. Trulia reports that 4% of LV population is subject to property crime. 1% to violent crime. Of course other sites say there is a lot of crime in LV. Statistics can be manipulated any way you want them to represent. The FBI's own site cautions people on the use of there statistics. My family is from LV. I have never felt afraid in that town.
As for projects. Most towns have them right in town. Well, because that is where the town is. I really cannot think of projects out in the middle of nowhere. That gets me thinking on why I love NM. People here tend to not be pretentious. I know of some section 8 apartments down off of Comanche in the North Valley that sit right next door to $300k+ homes.
Uhm No! According to this very website (citydata) the average crime rate is 301.1. Las Vegas, NM crime rate is 364.4. So, no not twice the average crime rate. Trulia reports that 4% of LV population is subject to property crime. 1% to violent crime. Of course other sites say there is a lot of crime in LV. Statistics can be manipulated any way you want them to represent. The FBI's own site cautions people on the use of there statistics. My family is from LV. I have never felt afraid in that town.
As for projects. Most towns have them right in town. Well, because that is where the town is. I really cannot think of projects out in the middle of nowhere. That gets me thinking on why I love NM. People here tend to not be pretentious. I know of some section 8 apartments down off of Comanche in the North Valley that sit right next door to $300k+ homes.
Let's be honest - for the last 12 years the crime rate has moved between 500+ and 700+, twice+ the national average. 2012 is the first year it has dipped below 400 and I am wondering why - is it real drop in crime or is it a different way of counting the crime. I hope it is the former but I have no idea. Until then I will treat it as a anomaly, of course everyone can treat it any way they want until we find out what the real deal is
So, statistically, if you lived in Las Vegas in the last 12 years, 11 out of 12 you had a 2 times higher chance of being a victim of some kind of crime.
As for the projects, we are talking a town of 13,000 people. That's a small town and should not have projects to begin with, at least that's what I think.
I am sure the people living in the 300+K homes you are referring to LOVE the fact that section 8 apartments are right next door. By the way, why do you think that someone who doesn't want to have "projects" in town is pretentious?
OP, your best bet is to take some time to venture out here if you can, explore as much as you can, and decide from experience. Of course, visiting a place is far different from living in a place, but for me, had I just gone by stats and second-hand reports online, I can't tell you how many neat place I would have missed out on - including Las Vegas, NM where I lived for three years ('06-'09), alone as a single female. Not a single problem to be had.
Best of luck with whichever route you decide to take. New Mexico isn't perfect, but it could be a whole lot worse.
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