What it's like to live in Artesia
Artesia is a small city in New Mexico with home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Artesia deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, cold winters, and hot summers.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Artesia compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Artesia
Based on Artesia's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$45,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,940
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Eddy County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Eddy County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 19% above US
393 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2165/100k · Artesia Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 32% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 45% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Carlsbad Caverns National Park (50 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Artesia's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and college degree attainment below the national average. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low) and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Artesia
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