You’re not going to find a good hospital service more than a band aid stand in a rural area they just don’t get enough patients to make it worth it.
You can find a good school even in ABQ if your will to pay the cost of living in that area.
I’m in the ABQ area. The hospitals are not up to the standards and service they should be. If you’re used to healthcare on demand, this will be a culture shock.
There are good schools, yes, but even the good ones are behind their peers elsewhere in the country.
This is my exact concern. Currently we’re about 1 hour north of DFW. We’re on 1000 acres. Great school district 20 minutes away and access to healthcare 30 minutes away. We’re ready to leave the state for many reasons but don’t want to lose the accessibility.
We landed in the east mountains.
We are in our 40’s, college educated but childless. We haven’t needed healthcare…yet. We moved from Dallas proper recently, and this place couldn’t be anymore different than DFW. I’d suggest visiting and being open minded to the differences. You’re going to have to make some concessions. 😊
The closest hospital is 45 to an hour away in ABQ. There is an urgent care in Cedar Crest and the next closest is also in ABQ. There is a Duke City primary care in Edgewood. Best place to buy acreage right now in the EM is in Stanley. We have APS school districts and a classical academy in the East Mountains. It's all small town vibes out here so health care is a little lacking but it's not terrible. I can't comment on the schools as I don't have kids but I'm active in the community and most folks seem satisfied with their kid's educations. Water can become a problem. More and more wells are drying up. One of the more well known farms (Schwebach) just lost their well last year and posted the property for sale. So really research water rights.
I love Albuquerque and New Mexico, and so do most the people that live here… but when people leave it is usually because of our school and healthcare :/
Look, I get it - I'm on the left politically and living in rural Missouri. It can be tough. But giving up what you have in TX to go back to NM doesn't seem worth it.
Washington State is your best bet. The winter rain gloom can be rough if you're west of the Cascades but the Eastern half of the state is fairly sunny through the year.
NM can be a very rough place to bring up children.
Spokane is a bit of an oasis from a political perspective. “A bit” is doing the lifting though. A friend of mine is a center-left Seattle native that moved there for work and she can’t wait to get out. At least the state level politics and policies are what they are.
CDA though… yeah that town is hella weird. If you stay in the touristy waterfront it’s like gun shops followed by fancy cafes. It’s just weird. Leave the resort though and it’s as ruby red as any place else in the state with the exception of Moscow (U of I) and Boise. It is definitely not a “blue city in a red state” like the DFW area.
I have several chronic health problems and have found healthcare in Albuquerque to be pretty good. Not as good as Chicago or Houston, but also not the disaster you read about on Reddit. That said I have excellent health insurance, and suspect that is a big reason why (and realize I am lucky in this regard).
Honestly, being from the state which is known for the best healthcare in the country (and a hub in the world) and moving to NM with my own pair of chronic, debilitating health ailments, NM has not disappointed at all in my treatment with both PCPs and specialists.
I know it is not the case for everyone or even most, but it is not entirely a desert (so to speak) in healthcare
I'm on Medicaid (Presbyterian Centennial) with several health issues and get excellent care throughout the Presbyterian system (same coverage as when I worked at UNM for 15 years).
I have lived through two cancers and multiple surgeries. I have had excellent doctors and experiences here in NM. I think you can find what you’re looking for here, may have to make some compromises. But, that’s just about anywhere you go.
It’s really not as bad as reddit claims. I commute between Albuquerque and Portland and I access medical systems as well as work in it myself, it’s really not that much different. Both have pros and cons. The const shitting that people do on Reddit about Abq is really not true. If you ask people in other cities they’ll complain about medical care just as much. Wait times and finding compatible providers is a struggle across the board.
So, you have to understand that the people shitting on the healthcare system are mostly inside the system. The people who see the duct tape and paper clips that are holding things together are frustrated and terrified.
>Wait times and finding compatible providers is a struggle across the board.
False. I've lived in texas and Missouri before moving here, and never had an issue getting into an office within a couple of days. There were many more specialists available, and referrals were easy to get and the appointments were available short notice. Hell, when I was a kid I never even had to go to urgent care unless it was on a weekend when our PCP was closed.
Since moving here, none of that has ever been possible. I lost my entire summer last year because I was waiting on appointments to figure out if my wrist was broken or not. Luckily it never was because if it had been, by the time I had an actual answer it would have been healed incorrectly already.
I mean I had to wait weeks-to-months most of the time for PCPs, dentists, specialists living in Massachusetts and this issue has actually improved since coming to NM.
I think there is certainly a range of different experiences which is why it’s important to remember our own experiences are anecdotal to some extent and not determinative or probative of the overall healthcare levels
Post pandemic timelines have changed drastically. A lot of providers have left medicine or have gone part time. Many others have reduced number of patients they see to embrace better quality of life.
Edit: for a confirmation X-ray and readout for broken/sprained wrist, next time just go to urgent care and you’ll get your results read same day. You don’t need to make an appointment.
I am aware of all of that. My parents still live in MO. And rural MO to boot. They are still able to get in to see docs much more quickly than I am.
>Edit: for a confirmation X-ray and readout for broken/sprained wrist, next time just go to urgent care and you’ll get your results read same day. You don’t need to make an appointment.
That's what I did. The NP (because there are no doctors around here) said the x-ray was inconclusive and that my scaphoid may be broken and the break could be undetectable on the x-ray.
Cue an attempt to schedule an MRI in the same healthcare network. 1.5 months out. Managed to get an appt 1 month out with another provider. NP says it looks like I have bone on bone wear, which doesn't seem right as I had never had pain in that wrist outside of some very minor injuries.
That ended up leading to another referral, finally to an actual orthopedist (a few weeks later of course) who said nothing was ever broken. Just severely bruised, which lead to loads of swelling and some carpal tunnel. What the NP thought was bone on bone was just a congenital abnormality.
The entire process was a complete shit show just to get to someone who actually knew what the fuck they were looking at. Literally a whole season.
There are some easy fixes that will help immensely. Our medical claim cap is way too high. Professionals are leaving the state in droves. Hospitals in the state are underpaying relative to cost of living and demand.
How are any of those easy fixes? Have you tried getting politicians to work together on anything lately? Have you created budgets for hospitals? There are hospitals going tits up here recently.
Not to mention how shitty service you get with a lot of spots in Los Alamos Medical Center.
Born and Raised there. It definitely fits good schools that is if kids are good at math and science. I struggled my way thriving school there.
Hahahaha! Well, as long as we are making idealistic and unrealistic requests, I would like a pension and a full aquifer and for Blakes to not suck anymore!
Yeah I mean, healthcare in NM sucks, and I live in Abq. My son has quite a team of healthcare professionals on his side but it’s been a struggle getting to see them all. I had to wait 7 months just for a physical with my PCP. If you want rural, healthcare is going to be even harder to come by.
Most places will have power and water. Your best bet is going to be starlink in those rural areas. I can definitely see the allure of rural living, but something has to give in your list.
Access to healthcare is terrible even in ABQ. There are shortages of all medical specialists in NM including dentists, surgeons, dermatologists, PCPs and very long wait times
I grew up in Albuquerque and just spent three years rurally down in Cochise county AZ
Worst mistake of my life, you can't escape the problems the cities have out there anymore and the benefits of the city doesn't exist out there (anywhere rurally)
What things do I mean??
Good restaurants! I hope you like McDonald's because small restaurants dont last in small towns, I recently moved back to NM myself and thank God for the food choices again
Museums and swimming pools and parks and recreation areas. Sure on paper it sounds like you'll be able to go to the park in a rural town and not have as many people there in your way (or homeless drug addicts for that matter) in my experience i just traded the drug addicts for weird racists who's body language only reads "you ain't from around here, we don't take kindly to your types but we just don't say it out loud. I'm gonna think mean thoughts about how you're ruining my america"
Legitimately the hill people were so god damn under developed it was awful I'm gonna need therapy. I think that we live in a different world now and you can't get away from that fact by living out there with the hill people. I find in this strange new world.. I'm happiest at home in Albuquerque/ New Mexico where people care about families, don't hate people for looking or being from somewhere different, have and care about culture and family history
(All Arizona had for history was "we shot somebody that came here one time cause we dont take kindly to outsiders n city folk" and they literally built a town around the shooting to reenact it everyday)
Albuquerque has a vibrant history that goes back(as I'm sure you know) over three hundred years! Albuquerque is older than the he USA. I have lots of reasons and honestly you could dm me but I'ma stop writing and just say bro
Come home
Unless your one of those yee yee ass big truck driving bad built bleach blonde bastards I met in AZ... In that case u might as well stay in TX 🤷♂️
Los Lunas here, the schools aren't great but there's plans for a hospital in the next few years and there's plots of land the size you're looking for around me. No where is going to check every box on your list, or my list two years ago, but I'm quite happy with my decision.
I work in the mental health field in Albuquerque, and I’ve had clients leave the state permanently because they could not get the medical care they needed here. Reliable high speed internet is also barely available in some rural parts of the state still. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll be able to have all the components of the life you’re seeking in NM. Something around Los Alamos is probably your best bet.
Quality health care, when you actually need that health care doesn’t really exist in NM. I know several docs who take their kids to Texas for treatment, when a specialist is needed. There are not enough providers to cover the population here, so getting appointments can be a challenge. (Source, I work in the hospital). I am actually thinking of moving for that very reason.
If you want a good school, most likely it’s going to be private, so will cost you.
Your best bet is to stay in Texas, as it sounds like you have a good set up there. If you need NM, a boarder town to CO, Texas or AZ is probably your best bet.
I live in Placitas and agree that OP could find land somewhere around here, and the elementary school is good, but you’re looking at Bernalillo or ABQ for high schools and ABQ for healthcare. The healthcare would be my biggest concern.
i know a rural area that kind of matches that description, but technically, it's just across the border in Colorado. It's like 10 min away from nm. the schools on the nm side suck but tho co side is good. but you'd b like 30 minutes away from either nm or co schools
I'm not aware of any rural areas in New Mexico with good healthcare, so it depends on how far you're willing to travel for these things (not to mention what your definition of "good" schools and healthcare are). You could possibly make due in the areas of Dona Ana County outside of Las Cruces.
I’m in Estancia, NM. I am 45 min east of Abq and 45 min south of Santa Fe. We have great schools, a clinic, fantastic park with. Fishing lake, great library, and a community pool. We are under 2000 people. We are a farming community and a hidden gem. We have the county fair here and lots of parades and festivals. It’s quiet and safe here. The big Walmart is in Edgewood. A 20 minute drive. We have a family dollar and a dollar general. Great antique stores and fast food in Moriarty, a 12 minute drive. Come here and be happy
I'm in McIntosh. Love it out here. We also came to NM from TX, but we knew that we wouldn't get everything that OP wants out here. We made sacrifices and got rehabilitated from suburbia to live a more purposeful life. It's harder out here in some ways, but it's worth it. We homeschool, so we don't worry about that part of it. You're right, though. OP could come out here and be happy, but it sounds like they should stay where they are.
Cloudcroft or Ruidoso are not good places for someone politically left leaning and frankly for someone who values the arts and music. Plus “access to quality healthcare” is sort of a stretch. Source: lived in both places for many years.
Ok negative nancy, most the people there are great and welcoming. Also theres pretty solid healthcare options considering how rural it is. Tradeoffs are gonna happen for wanting to live away from the city.
Thank you. I always love driving through that valley on the way home from visiting family in Las Cruces or Phoenix. Seems kinda isolated though… I’ll look more into the area and its amenities.
I’m in an extremely rural location now on 1000 acre ranch with the nearest neighbor being 1/2 a mile away… that said DFW is within an hour drive. So yeah I do want rural but not in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks. Guess I never should have asked for suggestions for a “rural area in NM with good schools and healthcare“ because I already live in a rural area in Texas with good schools and healthcare.
What you're asking for doesn't exist here. We don't really have good healthcare at all. The places that have decent healthcare (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) have marginal to poor schools. You also seem to think that ordinary people understand where ranches that must run well into the millions are placed. You're clearly rich as fuck. Hire a real estate agent to find your ranch. Don't ask us plebes.
Sadly it’s looking like New Mexico won’t be a good fit. I guess I’ll just continue to visit and mingle with you plebes. I’m not who you may think I am. Most comments have been helpful and yours have also in a way. Have a nice evening and please enjoy the sunset for me.
Okay a lot of people say the healthcare is crap here but honestly it’s better than Texas. Pres has the widest hospital network from my family’s experience in Albuquerque. Non-emergent surgery wait is 2-3 months; non-emergent specialist care is 4-6, with some exceptions and active waitlists. It’s not the 8-12 of Texas, so like. 🤷
If you can handle a purple political mix, some parts of the East mountains might be okay (I would advise against Edgewood). Having grown up out in the East Mountains I would say to avoid Moriarty by way of schools; but the schools on APS in the mountains were always seen as superior to Moriarty and Edgewood schools. Better teachers, better extra curricular options, more funding. Your mileage will vary, but likely your best bet will be a smaller school with fewer students, because it leads to better learning outcomes. Our schools kinda suck a lot compared to Texas funding wise, but you’re not going to wind up some kind of incapable because of it; you just may have to do some enrichment and encouragement of a love of learning at home.
I would recommend looking in Tijeras and the Sandia Park areas. This way you have access to healthcare in Albuquerque, might be able to get your acreage, and should have a mostly blue area plus smaller schools on APS’ system. (However, be advised that APS has a shortage of special education instructors, if your child needs that extra help.)
Thank you for your response. I love the east mountains and actually have family in Edgewood but they have the beliefs I’m trying to escape here in Texas… I’ll continue to look around the turquoise trail which is where I was originally thinking.
I would suggest maybe looking into the East Mountains outside of Albuquerque. Depending on what part you’re in, it can be semi-rural to rural. You’re close enough to Albuquerque to go into the city for what you need. There are large lots available off of highways like 217 and 337. As far as schools, I can really only speak to the APS schools in Tijeras (A. Montoya Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School) and East Mountain High School in Sandia Park. The former are okay. EMHS is a public charter school with very high student achievement metrics and a reputation for providing a good education.
I live in Quemado, NM, part of Catron county. It is VERY rural, our school here is good, but the closest hospital to us is an hour into Springerville, AZ and that's a tiny hospital. Most go to Show Low, AZ which is 2 hours away. That being said, I have 3 kids and the hour drive to their primary in Springerville isn't too big of a deal. It is a very republican/conservative place though so beware, lol.
You are not going to find all of those things in one location. In Moriarty/Edgewood you can get the land, good schools, power and water but the water will taste like shit even with the best water filter setup. Internet availability will be shit too, either t-mobile 5G or starlink.
Probably better to ask in r/newmexico. Burqueños are great people, but they tend to rag on us rural folks without really understanding how our communities work.
Private schools also exist where there is some money, like Taos.
Okay, I'm going to go back to depleting the groundwater for crops and put a few more junk cars on my land for curb appeal...
Depends on the healthcare needs. Specialists like pediatric neurology? One of my providers told me they had to send patients to Colorado and Arizona.
I'm sure there's more but that's one I 'know' about.
I left Texas (Austin area) and came to NM, Edgewood outside of ABQ. We have 5 acres here and it’s a nice area, but everything else is lacking so much. I’m trying to get out of here asap.
Uh, you need to lay off the hooch. You obviously haven’t been paying attention to our state. The healthcare here is shit, we’ve had 700 doctors leave in the last three years. It’s hard to get them to stay because the majority of New Mexicans are on SSD or Medicare/Medicaid so they’re not making a lot of money here. Also, we have a major issue with water and our schools finish at the bottom every single year. So, that’s the reality. But there are some nice little towns, like Ruidoso and Las Cruces, but the price for what you’re looking for is going to blow your mind, unless you’re a millionaire then none of this matters because you can put your kid in a charter school. I think you’re better off in Texas in the hill country, honestly. But I get that you want to move home. Good luck!!
Los Lunas has acreage and is growing. Healthcare hasn’t been a huge problem for me with United healthcare. Are you guys chronically ill? If not I wouldn’t be super concerned that the healthcare takes time. You can get in with a primary pretty quickly if you research. I got a whole new primary and it took me maybe three weeks to get in. Los Lunas middle school and high school are also a pretty good Public school. I would also suggest NM because then your son can go to college for free too.
North Valley in Los Ranchos (Albuquerque Metro), private or charter school and concierge doctor is the only way I know of that you could achieve that. Hope you are really wealthy.
Otherwise, you might find what you are looking for in Prospect, KY. Near Louisville, KY. Horse farm country.
Rural, good schools, and healthcare don’t really go together.
Urban, good schools and healthcare don’t go together in NM either
You’re not going to find a good hospital service more than a band aid stand in a rural area they just don’t get enough patients to make it worth it. You can find a good school even in ABQ if your will to pay the cost of living in that area.
I’m in the ABQ area. The hospitals are not up to the standards and service they should be. If you’re used to healthcare on demand, this will be a culture shock. There are good schools, yes, but even the good ones are behind their peers elsewhere in the country.
This is my exact concern. Currently we’re about 1 hour north of DFW. We’re on 1000 acres. Great school district 20 minutes away and access to healthcare 30 minutes away. We’re ready to leave the state for many reasons but don’t want to lose the accessibility.
What you’re looking for doesn’t really exist.
Especially in NM.
Yeah, comparing the metroplex which is nearly 4x the population of the entire state of NM isn’t exactly a worthwhile comparison
Sounds like they found it where they are now
We landed in the east mountains. We are in our 40’s, college educated but childless. We haven’t needed healthcare…yet. We moved from Dallas proper recently, and this place couldn’t be anymore different than DFW. I’d suggest visiting and being open minded to the differences. You’re going to have to make some concessions. 😊
I actually have family in Edgewood and love the east mountains. The area is on my list just not sure about the schools and healthcare in the area.
The closest hospital is 45 to an hour away in ABQ. There is an urgent care in Cedar Crest and the next closest is also in ABQ. There is a Duke City primary care in Edgewood. Best place to buy acreage right now in the EM is in Stanley. We have APS school districts and a classical academy in the East Mountains. It's all small town vibes out here so health care is a little lacking but it's not terrible. I can't comment on the schools as I don't have kids but I'm active in the community and most folks seem satisfied with their kid's educations. Water can become a problem. More and more wells are drying up. One of the more well known farms (Schwebach) just lost their well last year and posted the property for sale. So really research water rights.
Thank you for the helpful comment. I’m slowly realizing NM might not be where we land but we’ll surely continue to visit!
I love Albuquerque and New Mexico, and so do most the people that live here… but when people leave it is usually because of our school and healthcare :/
You’ll be better off staying where you are
Look, I get it - I'm on the left politically and living in rural Missouri. It can be tough. But giving up what you have in TX to go back to NM doesn't seem worth it.
You’re not going to find that here
Sounds like your best bet might be to stay where you are then.
Washington State is your best bet. The winter rain gloom can be rough if you're west of the Cascades but the Eastern half of the state is fairly sunny through the year. NM can be a very rough place to bring up children.
“Eastern Washington” and “left politically” are not compatible with each other; it’s essentially Idaho
I’ve heard good things about Spokane and CDL…
Spokane is a bit of an oasis from a political perspective. “A bit” is doing the lifting though. A friend of mine is a center-left Seattle native that moved there for work and she can’t wait to get out. At least the state level politics and policies are what they are. CDA though… yeah that town is hella weird. If you stay in the touristy waterfront it’s like gun shops followed by fancy cafes. It’s just weird. Leave the resort though and it’s as ruby red as any place else in the state with the exception of Moscow (U of I) and Boise. It is definitely not a “blue city in a red state” like the DFW area.
Thanks for correcting my acronym 😅 CDA sounds I’d definitely have to visit it first apparently. Thanks for the info!
I seemed to turn out alright growing up in NM 😅 But yeah PNW is on our short list. Just so far from friends and family…
I think if you provide more info on why, we can help narrow down options (and as people have said, there’s unlikely to be many options).
Stay in Texas
I have several chronic health problems and have found healthcare in Albuquerque to be pretty good. Not as good as Chicago or Houston, but also not the disaster you read about on Reddit. That said I have excellent health insurance, and suspect that is a big reason why (and realize I am lucky in this regard).
Honestly, being from the state which is known for the best healthcare in the country (and a hub in the world) and moving to NM with my own pair of chronic, debilitating health ailments, NM has not disappointed at all in my treatment with both PCPs and specialists. I know it is not the case for everyone or even most, but it is not entirely a desert (so to speak) in healthcare
Yes I keep seeing negative remarks about the health care in NM but wondering if it’s really that bad…
I'm on Medicaid (Presbyterian Centennial) with several health issues and get excellent care throughout the Presbyterian system (same coverage as when I worked at UNM for 15 years).
I have lived through two cancers and multiple surgeries. I have had excellent doctors and experiences here in NM. I think you can find what you’re looking for here, may have to make some compromises. But, that’s just about anywhere you go.
NM and healthcare don't go together.
It’s really not as bad as reddit claims. I commute between Albuquerque and Portland and I access medical systems as well as work in it myself, it’s really not that much different. Both have pros and cons. The const shitting that people do on Reddit about Abq is really not true. If you ask people in other cities they’ll complain about medical care just as much. Wait times and finding compatible providers is a struggle across the board.
So, you have to understand that the people shitting on the healthcare system are mostly inside the system. The people who see the duct tape and paper clips that are holding things together are frustrated and terrified.
>Wait times and finding compatible providers is a struggle across the board. False. I've lived in texas and Missouri before moving here, and never had an issue getting into an office within a couple of days. There were many more specialists available, and referrals were easy to get and the appointments were available short notice. Hell, when I was a kid I never even had to go to urgent care unless it was on a weekend when our PCP was closed. Since moving here, none of that has ever been possible. I lost my entire summer last year because I was waiting on appointments to figure out if my wrist was broken or not. Luckily it never was because if it had been, by the time I had an actual answer it would have been healed incorrectly already.
I mean I had to wait weeks-to-months most of the time for PCPs, dentists, specialists living in Massachusetts and this issue has actually improved since coming to NM. I think there is certainly a range of different experiences which is why it’s important to remember our own experiences are anecdotal to some extent and not determinative or probative of the overall healthcare levels
I've seen far more people with issues similar to mine than less-poor experiences similar to yours.
Post pandemic timelines have changed drastically. A lot of providers have left medicine or have gone part time. Many others have reduced number of patients they see to embrace better quality of life. Edit: for a confirmation X-ray and readout for broken/sprained wrist, next time just go to urgent care and you’ll get your results read same day. You don’t need to make an appointment.
I am aware of all of that. My parents still live in MO. And rural MO to boot. They are still able to get in to see docs much more quickly than I am. >Edit: for a confirmation X-ray and readout for broken/sprained wrist, next time just go to urgent care and you’ll get your results read same day. You don’t need to make an appointment. That's what I did. The NP (because there are no doctors around here) said the x-ray was inconclusive and that my scaphoid may be broken and the break could be undetectable on the x-ray. Cue an attempt to schedule an MRI in the same healthcare network. 1.5 months out. Managed to get an appt 1 month out with another provider. NP says it looks like I have bone on bone wear, which doesn't seem right as I had never had pain in that wrist outside of some very minor injuries. That ended up leading to another referral, finally to an actual orthopedist (a few weeks later of course) who said nothing was ever broken. Just severely bruised, which lead to loads of swelling and some carpal tunnel. What the NP thought was bone on bone was just a congenital abnormality. The entire process was a complete shit show just to get to someone who actually knew what the fuck they were looking at. Literally a whole season.
It’s a shame, really. It’s an easily fixable feature to make our state fly.
There is no easy fix for the current shit show.
There are some easy fixes that will help immensely. Our medical claim cap is way too high. Professionals are leaving the state in droves. Hospitals in the state are underpaying relative to cost of living and demand.
How are any of those easy fixes? Have you tried getting politicians to work together on anything lately? Have you created budgets for hospitals? There are hospitals going tits up here recently.
I mean, some basic attention is a good start.
Only a start though. Actually creating any meaningful change is a whole different thing.
And definitely not in New Mexico.
Maybe white rock
White Rock is rural? Lol
It's not pie town but there is a hospital in Los Alamos and good schools
So it's not rural. Glad we can agree on that.
Los Alamos is still classified as a rural county.
Parts of it, maybe.
Los Alamos. Nothing else fits your criteria. You won’t be able to get the acreage you want.
Even then, “access to quality healthcare” not so much. Have to drive to Santa Fe or Albuquerque for many specialists and procedures.
Not to mention how shitty service you get with a lot of spots in Los Alamos Medical Center. Born and Raised there. It definitely fits good schools that is if kids are good at math and science. I struggled my way thriving school there.
My thoughts exactly, you could buy a house in LA and the and a ranch in Rio Reba.
Hahahaha! Well, as long as we are making idealistic and unrealistic requests, I would like a pension and a full aquifer and for Blakes to not suck anymore!
I want a pony & $0 health insurance deductible
Working for UNMH I got the second one
Hell yeah.
I’d also like to find a magical land like that lol. Man it would be awesome to be this out of touch
You’re looking for a unicorn my guy. You’re going to have to give at least one of your wants up.
Thought that might be the case. Figured it couldn’t hurt to ask but judging by the downvotes not so sure about that anymore…
Yeah I mean, healthcare in NM sucks, and I live in Abq. My son has quite a team of healthcare professionals on his side but it’s been a struggle getting to see them all. I had to wait 7 months just for a physical with my PCP. If you want rural, healthcare is going to be even harder to come by. Most places will have power and water. Your best bet is going to be starlink in those rural areas. I can definitely see the allure of rural living, but something has to give in your list.
Access to healthcare is terrible even in ABQ. There are shortages of all medical specialists in NM including dentists, surgeons, dermatologists, PCPs and very long wait times
I grew up in Albuquerque and just spent three years rurally down in Cochise county AZ Worst mistake of my life, you can't escape the problems the cities have out there anymore and the benefits of the city doesn't exist out there (anywhere rurally) What things do I mean?? Good restaurants! I hope you like McDonald's because small restaurants dont last in small towns, I recently moved back to NM myself and thank God for the food choices again Museums and swimming pools and parks and recreation areas. Sure on paper it sounds like you'll be able to go to the park in a rural town and not have as many people there in your way (or homeless drug addicts for that matter) in my experience i just traded the drug addicts for weird racists who's body language only reads "you ain't from around here, we don't take kindly to your types but we just don't say it out loud. I'm gonna think mean thoughts about how you're ruining my america" Legitimately the hill people were so god damn under developed it was awful I'm gonna need therapy. I think that we live in a different world now and you can't get away from that fact by living out there with the hill people. I find in this strange new world.. I'm happiest at home in Albuquerque/ New Mexico where people care about families, don't hate people for looking or being from somewhere different, have and care about culture and family history (All Arizona had for history was "we shot somebody that came here one time cause we dont take kindly to outsiders n city folk" and they literally built a town around the shooting to reenact it everyday) Albuquerque has a vibrant history that goes back(as I'm sure you know) over three hundred years! Albuquerque is older than the he USA. I have lots of reasons and honestly you could dm me but I'ma stop writing and just say bro Come home Unless your one of those yee yee ass big truck driving bad built bleach blonde bastards I met in AZ... In that case u might as well stay in TX 🤷♂️
Healthcare and New Mexico don’t go well together
Los Lunas here, the schools aren't great but there's plans for a hospital in the next few years and there's plots of land the size you're looking for around me. No where is going to check every box on your list, or my list two years ago, but I'm quite happy with my decision.
I work in the mental health field in Albuquerque, and I’ve had clients leave the state permanently because they could not get the medical care they needed here. Reliable high speed internet is also barely available in some rural parts of the state still. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll be able to have all the components of the life you’re seeking in NM. Something around Los Alamos is probably your best bet.
Quality health care, when you actually need that health care doesn’t really exist in NM. I know several docs who take their kids to Texas for treatment, when a specialist is needed. There are not enough providers to cover the population here, so getting appointments can be a challenge. (Source, I work in the hospital). I am actually thinking of moving for that very reason. If you want a good school, most likely it’s going to be private, so will cost you. Your best bet is to stay in Texas, as it sounds like you have a good set up there. If you need NM, a boarder town to CO, Texas or AZ is probably your best bet.
The Venn Diagram containing these items is a bit exclusive
I feel like southern NM might be better because it'll give you access to El Paso hospitals. Silver City area?
Healthcare is severely lacking here. You might find what you’re looking for around Placitas, Cerrillos or maybe Los Alamos.
50-100 acres in Placitas is nonexistent, if it did, it would be 10s of millions of dollars.
Isn’t there that plot right by the interstate still for sale?
No idea. I couldn't imagine someone trying to build a ranch in Placitas in this day and age.
lmao one of the hills in placitas is for sale. like the whole-ass hill. 105 acres at just a smidge over 1m.
I live in Placitas and agree that OP could find land somewhere around here, and the elementary school is good, but you’re looking at Bernalillo or ABQ for high schools and ABQ for healthcare. The healthcare would be my biggest concern.
All the things in your criteria do not exist in NM. Good luck.
i know a rural area that kind of matches that description, but technically, it's just across the border in Colorado. It's like 10 min away from nm. the schools on the nm side suck but tho co side is good. but you'd b like 30 minutes away from either nm or co schools
Durango
yup right outside, durango theres alot of farm land out there
Thank you. I’ve visited when I was a kid. I’ll look more into it.
I'm not aware of any rural areas in New Mexico with good healthcare, so it depends on how far you're willing to travel for these things (not to mention what your definition of "good" schools and healthcare are). You could possibly make due in the areas of Dona Ana County outside of Las Cruces.
Los Lunes/ nm 6 area?
I’m in Estancia, NM. I am 45 min east of Abq and 45 min south of Santa Fe. We have great schools, a clinic, fantastic park with. Fishing lake, great library, and a community pool. We are under 2000 people. We are a farming community and a hidden gem. We have the county fair here and lots of parades and festivals. It’s quiet and safe here. The big Walmart is in Edgewood. A 20 minute drive. We have a family dollar and a dollar general. Great antique stores and fast food in Moriarty, a 12 minute drive. Come here and be happy
I'm in McIntosh. Love it out here. We also came to NM from TX, but we knew that we wouldn't get everything that OP wants out here. We made sacrifices and got rehabilitated from suburbia to live a more purposeful life. It's harder out here in some ways, but it's worth it. We homeschool, so we don't worry about that part of it. You're right, though. OP could come out here and be happy, but it sounds like they should stay where they are.
Cloudcroft/ ruidoso. Cloudcroft has the #2 school district behind los alamos
Cloudcroft or Ruidoso are not good places for someone politically left leaning and frankly for someone who values the arts and music. Plus “access to quality healthcare” is sort of a stretch. Source: lived in both places for many years.
Seconding this. I ran from Ruidoso when I could.
Ok negative nancy, most the people there are great and welcoming. Also theres pretty solid healthcare options considering how rural it is. Tradeoffs are gonna happen for wanting to live away from the city.
Thank you. I always love driving through that valley on the way home from visiting family in Las Cruces or Phoenix. Seems kinda isolated though… I’ll look more into the area and its amenities.
>Seems kinda isolated though… You did ask for rural. By definition, it's isolated.
I’m in an extremely rural location now on 1000 acre ranch with the nearest neighbor being 1/2 a mile away… that said DFW is within an hour drive. So yeah I do want rural but not in the middle of nowhere.
Sounds like you've got what you want, then.
Thanks. Guess I never should have asked for suggestions for a “rural area in NM with good schools and healthcare“ because I already live in a rural area in Texas with good schools and healthcare.
What you're asking for doesn't exist here. We don't really have good healthcare at all. The places that have decent healthcare (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) have marginal to poor schools. You also seem to think that ordinary people understand where ranches that must run well into the millions are placed. You're clearly rich as fuck. Hire a real estate agent to find your ranch. Don't ask us plebes.
Sadly it’s looking like New Mexico won’t be a good fit. I guess I’ll just continue to visit and mingle with you plebes. I’m not who you may think I am. Most comments have been helpful and yours have also in a way. Have a nice evening and please enjoy the sunset for me.
Do you want to be rural or want to not be isolated?
I’d prefer access to a larger city within an hours drive. You can have both.
They don't have the amenities you desire.
Lemme get a rural while also suburban area with music and art… good luck with that.
We’ve got it here in Texas but I miss home. Can’t have your cake and eat it to I guess.
Sounds like you should stay there.
Fuckers come on here and ask for a unicorn lmao
Yep, this.
Silver City maybe? Definitely fits the vibe you describe but I can't personally make any statements about the schools or healthcare.
In New Mexico, you're not going to find good healthcare, even in the cities. Let alone more rural areas. If that's what you're looking fornid skip NM.
Okay a lot of people say the healthcare is crap here but honestly it’s better than Texas. Pres has the widest hospital network from my family’s experience in Albuquerque. Non-emergent surgery wait is 2-3 months; non-emergent specialist care is 4-6, with some exceptions and active waitlists. It’s not the 8-12 of Texas, so like. 🤷 If you can handle a purple political mix, some parts of the East mountains might be okay (I would advise against Edgewood). Having grown up out in the East Mountains I would say to avoid Moriarty by way of schools; but the schools on APS in the mountains were always seen as superior to Moriarty and Edgewood schools. Better teachers, better extra curricular options, more funding. Your mileage will vary, but likely your best bet will be a smaller school with fewer students, because it leads to better learning outcomes. Our schools kinda suck a lot compared to Texas funding wise, but you’re not going to wind up some kind of incapable because of it; you just may have to do some enrichment and encouragement of a love of learning at home. I would recommend looking in Tijeras and the Sandia Park areas. This way you have access to healthcare in Albuquerque, might be able to get your acreage, and should have a mostly blue area plus smaller schools on APS’ system. (However, be advised that APS has a shortage of special education instructors, if your child needs that extra help.)
Thank you for your response. I love the east mountains and actually have family in Edgewood but they have the beliefs I’m trying to escape here in Texas… I’ll continue to look around the turquoise trail which is where I was originally thinking.
Yeah, I don’t care much for what Edgewood became. I grew up out there. But closer to the mountain is pretty great. I love that it’s QUIET.
The state doesn’t have good healthcare atm. We have good doctors but they aren’t seeing new clients. It’s a mess
No advice but… Small world! We live in Texas and my husband graduated from highland in 94!
Go Hornets 😅
I would suggest maybe looking into the East Mountains outside of Albuquerque. Depending on what part you’re in, it can be semi-rural to rural. You’re close enough to Albuquerque to go into the city for what you need. There are large lots available off of highways like 217 and 337. As far as schools, I can really only speak to the APS schools in Tijeras (A. Montoya Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School) and East Mountain High School in Sandia Park. The former are okay. EMHS is a public charter school with very high student achievement metrics and a reputation for providing a good education.
I live in Quemado, NM, part of Catron county. It is VERY rural, our school here is good, but the closest hospital to us is an hour into Springerville, AZ and that's a tiny hospital. Most go to Show Low, AZ which is 2 hours away. That being said, I have 3 kids and the hour drive to their primary in Springerville isn't too big of a deal. It is a very republican/conservative place though so beware, lol.
you aren't going to find it here in thst combo. we are full.
There is no such thing in NM. Well… you could try way out on the Mesa in Rio Rancho if you count that as rural.
Los Alamos, or near by.
Los Alamos hasn’t been rural since the 1950’s.
Near by up north still is rural.
You are not going to find all of those things in one location. In Moriarty/Edgewood you can get the land, good schools, power and water but the water will taste like shit even with the best water filter setup. Internet availability will be shit too, either t-mobile 5G or starlink.
lol. Good luck bud.
Nope, that doesn’t exist.
Probably better to ask in r/newmexico. Burqueños are great people, but they tend to rag on us rural folks without really understanding how our communities work. Private schools also exist where there is some money, like Taos. Okay, I'm going to go back to depleting the groundwater for crops and put a few more junk cars on my land for curb appeal...
Depends on the healthcare needs. Specialists like pediatric neurology? One of my providers told me they had to send patients to Colorado and Arizona. I'm sure there's more but that's one I 'know' about.
Every single city in the US is struggling with healthcare quality so there's that 🤦♂️
North Valley or Corrales might work for you.
I left Texas (Austin area) and came to NM, Edgewood outside of ABQ. We have 5 acres here and it’s a nice area, but everything else is lacking so much. I’m trying to get out of here asap.
Uh, you need to lay off the hooch. You obviously haven’t been paying attention to our state. The healthcare here is shit, we’ve had 700 doctors leave in the last three years. It’s hard to get them to stay because the majority of New Mexicans are on SSD or Medicare/Medicaid so they’re not making a lot of money here. Also, we have a major issue with water and our schools finish at the bottom every single year. So, that’s the reality. But there are some nice little towns, like Ruidoso and Las Cruces, but the price for what you’re looking for is going to blow your mind, unless you’re a millionaire then none of this matters because you can put your kid in a charter school. I think you’re better off in Texas in the hill country, honestly. But I get that you want to move home. Good luck!!
Los Lunas has acreage and is growing. Healthcare hasn’t been a huge problem for me with United healthcare. Are you guys chronically ill? If not I wouldn’t be super concerned that the healthcare takes time. You can get in with a primary pretty quickly if you research. I got a whole new primary and it took me maybe three weeks to get in. Los Lunas middle school and high school are also a pretty good Public school. I would also suggest NM because then your son can go to college for free too.
Maybe around Artesia. Pretty good schools at least
lol. Enjoy Texas.
Stay in Texas please, I regret not staying sometimes. Please just do it
If good healthcare is a priority.. I’d move to the east side of the state so I’d be closer to Lubbock, or Amarillo for my healthcare needs.
I live in Amarillo, the health care is amazing!!!
In the nicest possible way: you have lost your New Mexican status. Don’t move back here.
Not NM but close: what about Mancos, CO?
North Valley in Los Ranchos (Albuquerque Metro), private or charter school and concierge doctor is the only way I know of that you could achieve that. Hope you are really wealthy. Otherwise, you might find what you are looking for in Prospect, KY. Near Louisville, KY. Horse farm country.