Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Las Vegas earns a D−, 69th of 72 graded towns in New Mexico, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $45K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, including 99 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. It also has a long history, with 90 places on the National Register. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Las Vegas, above both New Mexico’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Montezuma Hotel Complex and Las Vegas Plaza. Las Vegas is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns.
Where Las Vegas beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Las Vegas Plaza
Its 88 National Register listings are more than in 98% of New Mexico towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,312 in 1890, 13,166 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1879 and 4 maps from 1889 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Mexico), ordered by how far Las Vegas is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Las Vegas, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and has commutes shorter than most of New Mexico.
Reported crimes fell from 429 to 310 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Las Vegas is 7.9 per 1,000 residents. Las Vegas reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less. The property crime rate in Las Vegas is 16.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.7 per 1,000 residents | 16.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the West Las Vegas school district. Two of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Las Vegas Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 345 | – |
| West Las Vegas High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 442 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NM on state tests and graduation
6.7 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Rodriguez Park, at 28 acres.
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rodriguez Park | 0.4 mi | 28 |
| 2. Santa Fe National Forest | — | 5 |
| 3. Keyes Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Las Vegas home is worth about $229,000, up 9% in a year, 28% below the New Mexico typical home. 57% of Las Vegas households own their home.
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $792 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 4,047 U.S. towns with household incomes like Las Vegas’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Las Vegas beats the New Mexico average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 16% of adults have diabetes in Las Vegas.
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 69% | 79% |
| What stands out | Las Vegas | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.2% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.4% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Las Vegas has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Las Vegas’ July high is 86°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 28 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Las Vegas.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 4,957 working residents takes 16.8 minutes, against 23.5 across New Mexico.
46% of Las Vegas’s working residents work right in town. Jobs based in Las Vegas fell to 5,028 in 2023, 355 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Albuquerque (15%), Santa Fe (9%) and Española (1%).
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 46% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 8.4% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). Las Vegas has lost 4.8% of its people since 2020, down to 12,574 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across New Mexico.
| Las Vegas | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 43.1 years | 37.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 23% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across New Mexico, 50.3% of residents are women.
| Las Vegas | NM | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.5% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.6% | 25.7% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 22.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.8% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16% | 17.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
2 within 15 miles of the center of Las Vegas
About 12 of every 100 Las Vegas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
88 places in Las Vegas on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Las Vegas.
City in New Mexico, United States
Las Vegas is a city in the state of New Mexico in the United States. It is the county seat of San Miguel County. Las Vegas was once two separate municipalities, one named West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and one named East Las Vegas ("New Town"). They were separated by the Gallinas River and still retain distinct characters and separate school districts. Las Vegas is home to New Mexico Highlands University. The city's population was 13,166 at the official 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Las Vegas grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #69 of 72 in New Mexico. It grades C for health, D for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Within New Mexico, it does better than 32% of towns.
That is 4.5 years of the area's median household income ($50,585 across the Las Vegas, NM area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
18 notable people were born here, including Wally Funk and Teresa Leger Fernandez.
