New Mexico’s second-largest city was founded in 1849, subsisting in the early years on agriculture and trade along the Rio Grande corridor. However, what began as a quiet farming community has grown into one of America’s “Best Performing Small Cities” as ranked by Forbes.com and the Milken Institute.
With an economy driven by aerospace research and development at nearby White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces has developed an ever-increasing base of private employers and light manufacturing facilities. Previously ranked among the top ten metros in growth nationwide, Las Cruces has more than doubled in size since 1970.
Las Cruces has all the features a growing, thriving community, including a nationally recognized university, national retail outlets and restaurants, and numerous cultural opportunities. With a strong multi-cultural background, Las Cruces offers many exciting events rich in the traditions of Mexican-American heritage.
Las Cruces features many outdoor recreational activities due to its year-round temperate climate. With an average of 340 days of sunshine and an average high temperature in January of 59 degrees, virtually every week of the year offers great golfing at 4 local golf courses. There are over 90 city parks and the recreation areas in the adjoining Organ Mountains offer hiking and trail bike riding just minutes away. For other outdoor enthusiasts, winter sports, summer time camping, hunting, and fishing are less than 2 hours away in several nearby national forests.
Spectator sports are a favorite for fans of NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate sports as well as several state championship high school programs. Nearly every weekend offers an opportunity to attend some sporting event, be it football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and a host of others. Aggie Memorial Stadium, home of the NMSU Aggie football team, seats 30,000 and the Pan American Center, home of the Aggie men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams, seats 13,000.
Spiritual opportunities abound throughout Las Cruces, home to more than 150 churches, synagogues and mosques. Religious facilities range from historic churches that predate the city’s founding to modern non-denominational centers located throughout the city. A number of these facilities offer parochial or private education on site.
Housing in Las Cruces is abundant and affordable. The predominate architectural style is Santa Fe style, but Tuscan and Mediterranean styles are seen throughout the city. The East Mesa of Las Cruces is the fastest growing area and new developments are springing up in the valley close to the Rio Grande River. In 2012, the average sale price of a new home was $177,211 and the average sale price of an existing home was $172,945.
The Las Cruces International Airport, 8 miles west of downtown, provides charter, cargo and general aviation services. Commercial passenger service is available at the El Paso International Airport, 57 minutes from downtown via Interstate 10.
| Las Cruces | |
| Population | 95,233 |
| Median Age | 32.1 |
| Households | 37,355 |
| Household Size | 2.47 |
| Median Housing Value | 154,000 |
| Family Size | 3.12 |
| Educational Attainment | |
| High School or Higher | 84.1% |
| Bachelor’s or Higher | 30.1% |
| Source: 2011 ACS 5-YR Estimate | |
More socioeconomic data about Las Cruces is available on the Esri Data and Demographics pages.
