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New Mexico ranks low for quality of life in national report on the state of the states (49/50, LA #50)
The Albuquerque Journal ^ | June 15, 2026 | Joshua Bowling, Source New mexico

Posted on 06/16/2026 4:15:06 PM PDT by CedarDave

A new report from the nonpartisan State of the Nation Project lists New Mexico near the bottom of national rankings for education, shootings, youth depression and a number of other factors that impact life satisfaction.

The organization produced the State of the States report, which gives in-depth scorecards to each of the 50 states and Washington D.C. ... A board of academics and advisers to the last five presidents created a list of 31 measures — ranging from youth depression, air quality and income inequality to social isolation, life expectancy and young adults employed or in school — and quantified those categories in each state.

Among the team’s takeaways: Only a small handful of states show improvement on any measure of self-reported well-being; states are becoming more alike in many ways but diverging on issues that can drive feelings of division; ...

For total scores across the project’s categories, only Louisiana fared worse than New Mexico.

In particular, New Mexico ranked 50th in the nation for hourly earnings growth; 49th for murder rate and academic test scores; 48th for children living with a single parent; 47th for shootings and suicide rate; 45th for youth depression and 44th for young adults employed or in school.

Its highest score — for child mortality — was 20th in the nation.

State leaders have recently focused on the exceedingly high number of young New Mexicans who neither work or go to school. A recent Legislative Finance Committee report found that 32,000 young New Mexicans do neither, costing the state some $623 million annually.

Douglas N. Harris, a Tulane University professor leading the State of the Nation Project’s effort, told Source NM. “What’s different about New Mexico is that its levels are worse — you’re starting off at a low point, but also getting worse.”

(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: democrats; grift; newmexico; qualityoflife; theft

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New Mexico is #2 in the nation in oil and gas production, and billions of dollars flow into state coffers yearly. But the left-wing progressive radicals in Santa Fe that control all state government spend it on give-away programs that don't inspire individual achievement or require work. When government pays all your expenses, and you have no incentive to improve your life or condition, depression and all its consequences follows. Satisfaction and happiness comes from striving for a goal and achieving a result, not spending social time on your phone or computer. Without inspiration from elected leaders (who seem more intent on ending life with unrestricted abortion) and non-left wing educators, our population's situation will continue to spiral downward with increasing social problems as described in the article.
1 posted on 06/16/2026 4:15:06 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: LegendHasIt; leapfrog0202; Santa Fe_Conservative; DesertDreamer; OneWingedShark; CougarGA7; ...
Sorry to have posted such a downer this evening.

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for FR member use; its use in the News Forum should not be for trivial or inconsequential posts. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, you may be allowed a number of free article views.)

2 posted on 06/16/2026 4:17:51 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave

I believe, NM is the #1 state benefiting from federal government spending.
Obviously, federal money is useless or even toxic.


3 posted on 06/16/2026 4:20:00 PM PDT by AZJeep (sane )
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To: AZJeep

A lot of the Federal money goes to the two national labs and several air force bases. But there’s a lot pissed away on the usual grift.


4 posted on 06/16/2026 4:24:09 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: CedarDave

Albuquerque’s only song was written by Weird Al. There may be an insight hiding there.


5 posted on 06/16/2026 4:32:25 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: All

Nothing really new here. Such statistics have been similar for a long time.

Although I must say that MY quality of life for the many decades that I have lived in New Mexico has been pretty darn good. When I was away, I was always relieved to return.

(However for the last 15 years or so I have had to deny to myself that Santa Fe and Albuquerque even exist.)


6 posted on 06/16/2026 4:47:40 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: LegendHasIt

What has happened to New Mexico is sad. They used to have a good Senator in Pete Dominici and a good Governor in Susana Martinez. They have since replaced them with typical left wingers and then successfully gerrymandered out their only GOP member of the House. The powers that be seem to relish the thought of being the abortion capital of the Southwest.

I know Trump thought he had a shot at carrying New Mexico in 2024 and even held a rally there at the end of the campaign. I’m not sure if the GOP can ever regain a foothold in what has become a left wing wasteland.


7 posted on 06/16/2026 5:00:17 PM PDT by pkajj
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To: CedarDave

We moved to AZ in 1963. AZ was just a little more developed than NM at the time. AZ stayed solid conservative for almost all of that time. NM went Liberal.

AZ
1960 population
1,302,161

2020 population
7,151,502

+5,849,341

NM
1960 population
951,023

2020 population
2,117,522

+1,166,499


8 posted on 06/16/2026 5:04:18 PM PDT by Az Joe (Pope Marx I)
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To: pkajj

I actually knew Pete Domenici personally; He was a friend of my father’s from even before he was the Chairman of Albuquerque City Commission. He even gave me a $5.00 High School Graduation gift. :-)


9 posted on 06/16/2026 5:26:36 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: CedarDave

The only reason Louisiana lost to New Mexico is ‘They just wont give up the swamp.’


10 posted on 06/16/2026 5:34:08 PM PDT by Delta 21 (None of us are descendants of fearful men!)
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To: CedarDave

Taos, NM has always been noted for incredible scenery and atmospheric light effects. And the location of a vibrant visual arts community. Of course in its own inimitable way the left co-opted the visual arts and turned them into therapy for the unhinged. The left ruins everything it touches.


11 posted on 06/16/2026 6:17:18 PM PDT by 4Runner ("I gotta join a union to get paid for loafin'?" " Sure ya do!" --Abbott & Costello)
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To: AZJeep

It’s mainly because most workers in NM are gubmint employees, either federal or state. Some amount more than 1/2.

Adult underemployment is staggering.

Basically everyone is on welfare of some kind.


12 posted on 06/16/2026 6:44:11 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: LegendHasIt

You may know my mom. She dated Pete in college for several years.

UNM

Maiden name Taylor from Lea county. Ranchers. Her mom was a Chisum.


13 posted on 06/16/2026 6:54:38 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: CedarDave

.


14 posted on 06/16/2026 7:21:37 PM PDT by redinIllinois (Pro-life, accountant, gun-totin' Grandma - multi issue voter in)
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To: CedarDave

Stay strong Cedar Dave.


15 posted on 06/16/2026 7:53:29 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? On hold! Enlisted USN 1967 proudly. 🚫💉! 🇮🇱🙏! Winning currently!)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Hi Tijeras Slim. Hope you’re well.


16 posted on 06/16/2026 7:55:32 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? On hold! Enlisted USN 1967 proudly. 🚫💉! 🇮🇱🙏! Winning currently!)
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To: CedarDave; wardaddy

What would “Mick from the high mountains of New Mexico” have to say about this...


17 posted on 06/16/2026 8:01:59 PM PDT by Pelham (President Eisenhower. Operation Wetback 1953-54)
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To: rktman

Doing nicely… holed up in the mountains and only have to go into town weekly or less.


18 posted on 06/16/2026 8:07:38 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: TheThirdRuffian

most workers in NM are gubmint employees
______________

Yes, of course.
My point is that the people on the left are talking like gubmint money is the way to prosperity.
More gubmint spending equals better life, better just about everything people need.
MN is a shining example of the fallacy of this argument!


19 posted on 06/16/2026 8:45:25 PM PDT by AZJeep (sane )
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To: TheThirdRuffian

PM sent


20 posted on 06/16/2026 10:13:01 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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