Rural communities: a preferred lifestyle - Making the Case for New Mexico's Small Towns

New Mexico Business Journal, Oct, 1993

Small communities in New Mexico have remained relatively free of the severe problems facing urban centers across the country.

This fact is encouraging many small to medium size companies from these same urban centers to look for that sometimes elusive, indescribable element called quality of life...and they are finding it in New Mexico's small towns.

New Mexico's geography with its volcanic mesas, wide deserts, forested wildernesses, and alpine peaks is as heterogeneous as its tri-cultural roots.

Today newcomers and long-time residents choose to live and work in the Land of Enchantment because it is removed from the hectic pace of larger cities.

Why Small Towns, Rural Areas?

Better cost of living                             73%
Better personal values                            72%
Better traffic conditions                         72%
Better freedom from pollution                     70%
Better overall quality of life                    70%
Better community or civic spirit                  70%
Friendlier people                                 60%
A strong sense of family                          69%
Friendly                                          62%
A commitment to community                         58%
Responsible citizens                              51%
Resourceful                                       50%

The Roper Organization 1992

Brian McDonald, director of the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, says one of the state's greatest assets is its ability to provide its residents and visitors with "psychic income."

Scenic beauty, clear, sunny days, and diverse climatic zones within minutes of each other all add to the ambiance.

Acting on behalf of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), The Roper Organization conducted more than 1,000 home interviews nationwide in January 1992.

What they found was that Americans revere rural communities. Smaller towns are seen as clean and wholesome, slower-paced and less stressful, with less traffic on better streets, a place where one can find a lower cost of living and stronger personal values.

Rural Americans are seen as friendlier, more honest, and more concerned about others.

New Mexico's rural attractions are also an important part of its character.

Rural New Mexico encompasses the high mountains of Taos, Elephant Butte Lake in Sierra County, the rolling plains along the Santa Fe Trail, the stark landscape of White Sands, the mountain streams in Colfax County and the fertile valley of the Rio Grande.

Other attractions include New Mexico's Museum of Mining in Grants, the largest radio telescopes in the world south of Socorro, and the Duck Race Championships in Deming. Few states can offer such scenic and recreational diversity.

The list is endless when it comes to vacation opportunities or just a weekend outing -- but it all provides CEDA communities with tourism dollars in a state where the hospitality industry is a leading economic sector.

Over the years various organizations including the local chambers of commerce, the State Department of Tourism, and the New Mexico Film Commission have continued to cultivate these geographic assets into an important component of New Mexico's economic growth and stability.