Why New Mexico is the Worst State to Raise a Family

New year, same bottom ranking for New Mexico.

Wallethub has released its 2021 rankings of the Best & Worst States to Raise a Family and for the 5th year in a row the Land of Enchantment has been named the worst.

The list-happy personal finance website says its ranking is based on "52 key indicators of family-friendliness," which included annual family income, divorce rates, housing affordability, and crime – all of which our neighboring state finished near the bottom of.

After crunching the numbers, the data showed New Mexico has among the most violent crimes per capita in the nation (#49 out of 50), the highest percentage of families living below the poverty level (48), and was among the 5 worst when it came to median family salary (48). Also not helping New Mexico’s case and contributing to the state’s poor overall score is a divorce/separation rate near the bottom at #49.

New Mexico’s highest ranking was in the “family fun” category, which takes things like the number of attractions and percentage of children who live near a park or playground into consideration. The state’s 2021 “family fun” ranking was #38 – at two-point leap from the #41 spot in 2020, but lower than its high of #36 spot in 2019.

Worst States 2021 Bottom 10

50. New Mexico
49. Mississippi
48. West Virginia
47. Louisiana
46. Oklahoma
45. Arkansas
44. Alabama
43. South Carolina
42. Arizona
41. Nevada

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Wallethub’s study looked at states in general. If you’re looking for specific cities and towns in New Mexico “with the worst economic situations, where there's higher than average crime, and not a lot to do,” then give a separate study by Road Snacks a look.

They also recently used some form of voodoo science and data to determine “which places in New Mexico are not enchanting” and they name names. You’ll find The 10 Worst Places to Live In New Mexico For 2021 below, which includes the neighboring New Mexico towns of Anthony and Sunland Park.