Unfortunately the low income doesn't mean cheaper cost of living. This is a crappy state with beautiful weather and I would have never moved out here if the line of work i'm in didn't pay out here but the cost of living is high. I live in albuquerque and I think this is the best weather anywhere. Dry, warm(even in the winter it usually is in the 40s-50s during the day and in the summer very rarely gets over 99*(hasn't happened in 3 years now) while the low 5-15% humidity is great in the summer. Hardly ever rains or snows here in Albuquerque but around us it snows a lot. Up north in SantaFe and to the CO border, it is much colder and much more rain and snow. Very cold during the winter but the summer is cooler too. A totally screwed up state government and very little money in the state make crime VERY high through out the state. I love the weather and scenery but there is nothing else here worth staying for and not much to do but watch sand blow, hunt coyotes, hunt jack rabbits, go off roading, watch road runners, watch lizards, go hiking, or go to bars. Very little recreation here and the state is very desciminitive towards whites and indians(yes indians). The companies are forced to hire illiterate Mexicans and Spanish over the actual qualified for the job whites/Indians/Blacks and that is why businesses will not come here. Not many blacks here but what few there is are also discriminated against. Many gangs here too in NM all over. 1 in every 12 cars/trucks is stolen, 1 in 8 houses are robbed, many top ten bad things in the nation are here. Almost impossible to find a good neighborhood to live in because the government gives the welfare PUKES money to live in nice neighborhoods and in nice area so they can spread thier worthless gang bangin/stealing/disrespectful punk asses into new territories. Democratic state and it shows.