People don't realize it, but New Mexico has an amazing amount of land. So much so that the entire state is the 5th largest state in the United States. There's definitely more than enough land for its population of over 2 million people. But you'd be surprised who actually OWNS the most land in the Land of Enchantment.

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How many landowners are there in New Mexico compared to Texas?

In Texas, there are over 142 million acres of land owned by a quarter million private landowners. In New Mexico, however, there's almost half that amount; 77 million acres of land. Over 47 million acres alone are owned by 3 huge owners.

New Mexico's Federal Government Owns 24,665,774 Acres

It probably doesn't come too much of a surprise that the Federal Government owns a good majority of the land in New Mexico; nearly a 1/3 (31.7%) of the entire state. This is shared between the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Defense & the National Park Service. Together they are the biggest landowner in New Mexico

The New Mexico State Trust Land Office Owns 22,000,000 acres

The 2nd biggest landowner for New Mexico is the NM State Land Office; they own 9 million acres of land & 13 million acres of minerals. They're mainly in charge of the oil & gas companies operating in the state, renewable resources & agriculture.

These 1st two make sense but the 3rd biggest landowner came as a surprise for me.

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Even Ted Turner owns a million acres of New Mexico Land

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Yes, that image of Ted Turner was not to be funny; the founder of CNN is the 3rd largest landowner in New Mexico. Ted Turner is the owner of the Ted Turner Reserves which includes the Vermjeo Ranch, a 550,000 acre piece of land in Raton, NM.

Ted also owns the Armendaris Ranch (362,885 acres) & the Ladder Ranch (156,439 acres). Not to mention he also owns the Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa located in Truth or Consequences, NM. That's an estimated 1,069,324 acres of land.

That's definitely even more reason to treat the land with respect; you certainly wouldn't want to upset the owners of New Mexico, would you?

How Texas Sizes up Across the World

This is how the size of Texas compares to other parts of the world based on thetruesize.com.

Gallery Credit: Emily Claire

99-Acre Ranch For Sale in Elkhart, Texas

Here is a look at the stunning 99-acre East Texas ranch in Elkhart, Texas.

Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins

Look Inside One Of The Most Expensive Mansions For Sale In Texas

One of the most expensive homes for sale in Texas is located in Houston, and it's French design will have fans of architecture falling in love. This 8 bedroom, 12 bath 26,401 square foot mansion sits on over 2 acres of land. You will be transported to another country when walking through the doors. The mansion features an owners wing, gardens, a huge "Parisian style pool, galleries, and so much more. This home is incredible. For more information visit Zillow or contact the listing agent, Gigi Huang with Douglas Elliman Real Estate at 832-256-5673.

Gallery Credit: Chad Hasty

 

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