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Tucson is another choice. Tucson is more eclectic but has some nice areas, too. I am really used to Tucson because I used to live in Willcox, 80 miles eastward of Tucson. Willcox is a little hick cowboy town but my hospital job was there. I worked one week on, then one week off. So guess where we'd go on my week off?
Tucson. Tucson has Eegee's sandwiches and great icees. And it has Club Congress for rock shows and The Rialto Theater for the arts of all kinds. Tucson also has an Animal Kingdom store, which I loved ta go to to see the puppies for sale. They are horribly overpriced puppies, but they were the most adorable puppies anywhere. Housing prices will be more reasonable in Tucson as well.
I hope it’s okay to cut in but I’ve been lurking here and interested in possibly Las Cruces, Tucson, or Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) for a retirement home. The one thing that stops me from Tucson is the hot weather in the summer months. Isn’t New Mexico a bit cooler than Tucson? On the other hand, I’m leery of the partial taxation of social security in New Mexico.
I hope it’s okay to cut in but I’ve been lurking here and interested in possibly Las Cruces, Tucson, or Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) for a retirement home. The one thing that stops me from Tucson is the hot weather in the summer months. Isn’t New Mexico a bit cooler than Tucson? On the other hand, I’m leery of the partial taxation of social security in New Mexico.
sure it's okay. I'm going to guess that Tucson is much hotter in the summer, it's one big reason I'm not considering anywhere in Arizona.
partial taxation.....I actually had to look that up and as it turns out, I'm living in one of the states that taxes Social Security so it's not a factor for me. Good luck with your fact seeking.
sure it's okay. I'm going to guess that Tucson is much hotter in the summer, it's one big reason I'm not considering anywhere in Arizona.
partial taxation.....I actually had to look that up and as it turns out, I'm living in one of the states that taxes Social Security so it's not a factor for me. Good luck with your fact seeking.
Thank you. I spent the first half of my life in Coastal California and visited the Tucson/Phoenix area a few times and it was always an oven in the summer. I was thinking since I’ve adapted (as much as can be possible) to the humid hot summers in the Midwest that Arizona might be tolerable but then it sounds so crowded after living in a “mid-sized” Iowa city for several years. New Mexico might be a good compromise and I like the history and culture from what I’ve read.
I’ve read that there’s a push to eliminate social security taxation in New Mexico or at least a greater portion of it. I’ll be watching closely.
Thank you. I spent the first half of my life in Coastal California and visited the Tucson/Phoenix area a few times and it was always an oven in the summer. I was thinking since I’ve adapted (as much as can be possible) to the humid hot summers in the Midwest that Arizona might be tolerable but then it sounds so crowded after living in a “mid-sized” Iowa city for several years. New Mexico might be a good compromise and I like the history and culture from what I’ve read.
I’ve read that there’s a push to eliminate social security taxation in New Mexico or at least a greater portion of it. I’ll be watching closely.
I'm ready to leave humidity behind. I too like the history and culture of New Mexico. It would be nice to have a new state to explore. And if they eliminate Social Security taxation in NM, even better!
I hope it’s okay to cut in but I’ve been lurking here and interested in possibly Las Cruces, Tucson, or Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) for a retirement home. The one thing that stops me from Tucson is the hot weather in the summer months. Isn’t New Mexico a bit cooler than Tucson?
Tucson is hotter than either LC or ABQ. About 5 degrees hotter than LC for average summertime temps and even more for extreme high temps. ABQ is 3-4 degrees cooler than LC on average, so about 9 degrees cooler than Tucson.
The NM cities also have a larger average diurnal (day to night) temperature swing (approx. 32 degrees) than Tucson (27 degrees). This means it cools down more at night in ABQ and LC than in Tucson, which can make a huge difference in comfort when you live in a hot climate. Even on the hottest days in ABQ, the mornings are very pleasant.
Tucson is hotter than either LC or ABQ. About 5 degrees hotter than LC for average summertime temps and even more for extreme high temps. ABQ is 3-4 degrees cooler than LC on average, so about 9 degrees cooler than Tucson.
The NM cities also have a larger average diurnal (day to night) temperature swing (approx. 32 degrees) than Tucson (27 degrees). This means it cools down more at night in ABQ and LC than in Tucson, which can make a huge difference in comfort when you live in a hot climate. Even on the hottest days in ABQ, the mornings are very pleasant.
This post is very spot-on. I call Las Cruces "The Goldilocks" place. Not too hot or too cold. That swing is due to elevation. Albuquerque, depending on where you are is 5000-6200 feet elevation. Las Cruces is 3800 feet downtown and 4500 feet on the East Mesa. Tucson, in contrast, is mostly around 2300 feet. Phoenix is 500 feet above sea level. This dictates a lot of the comfort at night here versus the Arizona cities. Albuquerque, while slightly cooler in the summer than Las Cruces, is markedly colder in the winter than here. We are going to be a high of 71 degrees here today. And the price per square foot for a home here is lower than any of the other cities mentioned here.
Las Cruces is quite a bit hotter than Albuquerque, and much more prone to extreme heat. Albuquerque only gets an average of 2-3 triple digit temperature days a year. Las Cruces gets many more. Last year it had 37 days of triple digit temps, Albuquerque had 5, the year before we only had two. Las Cruces in the last two years has had more triple digit temps (60) than Albuquerque has had in the last 20 years combined (48). I much prefer colder weather, and absolutely hate hot weather and especially extreme heat, so Albuquerque for me.
Tucson is hotter than either LC or ABQ. About 5 degrees hotter than LC for average summertime temps and even more for extreme high temps. ABQ is 3-4 degrees cooler than LC on average, so about 9 degrees cooler than Tucson.
The NM cities also have a larger average diurnal (day to night) temperature swing (approx. 32 degrees) than Tucson (27 degrees). This means it cools down more at night in ABQ and LC than in Tucson, which can make a huge difference in comfort when you live in a hot climate. Even on the hottest days in ABQ, the mornings are very pleasant.
Thank you and to the other two posters also. Good to know about the temp differences.
I’m curious if Albuquerque and Las Cruces has ever had problems with flooding in low-lying suburban areas from rain? How the infrastructure handles it? Any areas to watch out for? I would assume it’s not common because it’s the desert but I don’t take anything for granted anymore (this past August my city got hit by a Derecho - hurricane category-4 equivalent - causing an estimated 3.5 million dollars in damage to just my condo association alone)
Hello again, tobyo! We've chatted a little already. I didn't know you liked to sing and play music. I used to be in a local choir group and my husband played drums in bands for many years and also dabbles on bass a little. I can play a little acoustic guitar. Maybe when you get down there, we can jam a little!
We are from the metro area of Duluth/Superior, with a population similar to LC, but decreasing. While our scenery is stunning, our downtown areas are mostly non-existent, which is just fine with us as we live in the country and mostly keep to ourselves.
LC is appealing to us mainly due to weather, but I think the scenery is also stunning. It appears to be growing in population, even if not in industry. But as the population grows, it seems that demand for more restaurants and shops would follow.
A more laid back environment is very appealing. Duluth is a small city that likes to pretend it's a big city. We are having a lot of drug problems and crime spiking. Shootings are becoming a regular occurrence. I am more than ready to leave.
We have been watching the available housing situation dwindle in LC every day. So the plan is to close on our house here, get in touch with a realtor there, come visit for a week, and be ready to hop on whatever looks appealing. That might be an older home near city center that just needs some updating, or it might be somewhere on the outskirts that is ready as-is. We have a pretty open mind when it comes to housing. We don't need a lot of room and with so many parks, trails, and hiking, we no longer feel we need the isolation of 20 country acres like we currently have.
I wish you luck whatever you decide. No matter what you decide, there will always be naysayers. I am hopeful that if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. There are many New Mexicans that don't want an influx of outsiders, and I can't blame them. But we have no desire to come down and expect everybody to change to suit what we are used to. We are happy to come down and honor the lifestyle that is already in place. There is a lot of passive-aggressiveness up here and I'd like to live where people are genuinely nice and helpful.
We visited LC once and I immediately came home and got a NM zia inspired tattoo. That's how much it felt like home to me immediately. When we drove from Santa Fe to Taos, when viewing the jaw-dropping beauty, I didn't feel just awe...I felt an immense sense of pride in what we knew would be our future home.
I don't think New Mexico is for everybody, and that's just fine. But I think it's for me.
That might be an older home near city center that just needs some updating, or it might be somewhere on the outskirts that is ready as
That's what is frustrating about houses in Las Cruces. There just isn't a lot of housing stock of the older part of town that isn't either A) tiny houses with tiny lots B) in a rough neighborhood C) cheaply constructed.
There just aren't too many areas of those grand old homes from the '20s and '30s around the city center like you have in so many cities and towns. There are some on and around Alameda street north of downtown.
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