According to the latest data from the US Census Bureau (as reported in the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico lost 3,333 people from July 2021 through July of this year. The country as a whole grew by roughly 1.25 million residents, an increase of 0.4%.
But what is truly concerning is that New Mexico continues to stick out in terms of population growth in its region and in the Mountain West as a whole. All of New Mexico’s neighbors gained population (Texas, Arizona, and Utah were among the 10 fastest-growing US states) overall.
While there are numerous factors (including weather) impacting where people live and move, there is no question that economic freedom (or the lack of it) plays a major role as well.
New Mexico has long been a bastion of big-government and non-freedom in the relatively free Mountain West. With a positively massive budget surplus will the Legislature and MLG make needed changes?
People want to live in states where they are free to live their lives as they see fit without the government dictating their healthcare decisions, among other things. I guess people aren’t really so interested in killing unborn babies as the governor would think. New Mexico is a beautiful state but their politics not so much.
I don’t know why people would move here anymore. Is just really sad. Took my wife’s car in to Power Ford the other day. Said they’d need all day to fix. Asked me if I needed an Uber. “No, will walk home, will be good for me. Is only three miles or so.” Was eye opening. Homeless encampments and all that. As if I wasn’t already aware of these conditions. I just tell people to stay away anymore, isn’t safe here.
Friends came through the other week. Met them in old town, went for a wine tasting at noisy water. They are from Iowa going to check on their business in California. Even they knew not to stay here, headed west, grabbed a hotel west of here somewhere. Is just sad here anymore.