Las Cruces: Small-Town Feel in New Mexico’s Second-Biggest City (From the Vault)
By Venturi Realty Group
From the Vault – ABQ Real Estate Talk, Episode 525: Tego Venturi talks with Las Cruces real estate broker Kacie Henke of Real Broker, LLC about life, housing, and opportunities in New Mexico’s second-largest city.
In this “From the Vault” conversation, Tego Venturi continues his tour of New Mexico by heading south from Albuquerque to Las Cruces. He’s joined by longtime broker and second-generation real estate professional Kacie Henke, who moved from Alamogordo to attend New Mexico State University and never left. Together they unpack why Las Cruces manages to feel like a tight-knit small town even though it has over 100,000 residents and serves as a regional hub for education, agriculture, and outdoor recreation.
Henke explains that much of the city’s character comes from its community events and shared spaces. “We have lots of different festivals and local events and everybody goes to it because we don’t have a ton of big city life here and events here,” she says, noting that neighbors fully embrace local gatherings precisely because there aren’t pro sports teams or a constant stream of big-ticket entertainment competing for attention.
“It’s kind of like one of those Hallmark movies … it’s just a small town vibe.”
Even as Tego cites data showing that Las Cruces is New Mexico’s second-largest city and a more affordable alternative to Albuquerque, the episode keeps circling back to the same theme: people move there for a different pace of life. From the Organ Mountains on the horizon to the historic Mesilla Plaza and the influence of nearby El Paso and Mexico, Las Cruces offers a blend of scenery, culture, and affordability that feels distinct within the Southwest.
Las Cruces Real Estate: Affordable, Diverse, and Still Growing
When the conversation turns to the housing market, Kacie is clear: “I think compared to Albuquerque and other places, we are one of the most affordable places in New Mexico.” She notes that Alamogordo is still cheaper, but Las Cruces offers far more variety in both homes and amenities while remaining accessible for many buyers.
The city’s inventory includes a large share of new construction, a healthy resale market, and a small but real luxury segment. Henke explains that most builders in Las Cruces are actively offering incentives, not just to first-time buyers but “really anybody,” which can make a meaningful difference in monthly payments or closing costs for purchasers across price points.
“We have tons and tons of new construction … and most of the builders are offering incentives to help out.”
Tego brings in the numbers to frame that on-the-ground experience. At the time of their February 2025 conversation, he notes that the median sale price in Las Cruces was right around $300,000, roughly $50,000 less than the median in Albuquerque. He points out that based on his research, Las Cruces home prices had increased about 55% over the prior five years, with a much more moderate appreciation rate of around 2.5% in the most recent year—an indication that the market was no longer in the rapid run-up seen during the pandemic years.
Henke adds context from her own experience as both a homeowner and an agent. After the 2008 housing bust, she recalls, “houses kind of stayed stagnant and appraisers weren’t allowing houses to appreciate.” She and her husband bought a nearly new construction home that had originally sold for about $140,000, and “it took almost 10 years just to come to value again.” Only around 2020 did prices finally begin to catch up to where she felt they should be—then, like much of the country, they rose quickly. Today, that same house would be closer to $300,000, even as price growth has slowed.
For Kacie and Tego, that combination—strong but not overheated long-term appreciation, steady demand, and relative affordability compared with other Southwest markets—makes Las Cruces a compelling option for buyers who might be priced out elsewhere. At the same time, Henke is candid that the local luxury segment is small, with perhaps ten listings above roughly $800,000 at any given time, underscoring that Las Cruces remains primarily a market of approachable price points and practical homes rather than ultra-high-end estates.
Key Takeaways About Living and Buying in Las Cruces
- Small-town feel in New Mexico’s second-largest city
Kacie describes Las Cruces as feeling like a Hallmark movie town, where festivals and local events draw “everybody” even though the city has over 100,000 residents and is officially the state’s second-biggest city. - Home prices around $300,000 at the time of the conversation Tego notes that the median sale price was about $300,000—roughly $50,000 less than in Albuquerque—highlighting Las Cruces as a more affordable alternative within New Mexico.
- Strong mix of new construction, resale, and limited luxury Henke emphasizes “tons and tons of new construction” with active builder incentives, a solid resale market, and a relatively small luxury segment starting around $800,000.
- Builders offering incentives to help buyers Most local builders are contributing toward closing costs or rate buydowns, which can benefit first-time homebuyers and move-up buyers alike in the current rate environment.
- Outdoor lifestyle anchored by the Organ Mountains and nearby White Sands Tego and Kacie highlight easy access to hiking and year-round outdoor activity in the Organ Mountains, plus the unique experience of White Sands National Park and its full-moon and balloon events.
- Rich agricultural and food culture From pecan orchards and onion farms to green chile fields, vineyards, and the New Mexico State University Chile Institute, agriculture shapes both the local economy and the region’s celebrated food and wine scene.
Weather, Outdoors, and Everyday Life in Las Cruces
Asked to sum up the local climate, Kacie laughs that Las Cruces really has two main seasons: “hot and windy.” While there may be a day of snow now and then, she explains that winters are brief and mild, and the real rhythm of the year is warm, dry days and breezy springs.
She stresses that Las Cruces is not the same as Tucson or Phoenix when it comes to heat. One of her clients relocating from Tucson told her that while Tucson can hit 120 degrees and “never cools down,” Las Cruces might reach 105 degrees but cools off at night, making it possible to relax outdoors. “It is nice and it’s a dry heat,” Kacie says, adding that humidity is virtually nonexistent.
“If you want pure beauty every single day when you wake up … the sunsets and sunrises are so magical.”
For Henke, the real magic of the climate shows up at the beginning and end of each day. She says her kids often run in to tell her, “Mom, you have to go and check out this sunset. It’s so beautiful.” Being able to see the sky and the stars without tall buildings or smog is a daily reminder of why New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment.
The outdoors are a huge draw. With the Organ Mountains rising just outside town, residents can hike and explore nearly year-round. White Sands, a short drive away, offers another world-class landscape where people sled on gypsum dunes, hold weddings and photo sessions, and attend full-moon nights when the sand glows almost like daylight. Kacie notes that during the White Sands International Balloon Festival, seeing hot air balloons lift off against the white dunes is “so majestic and really cool looking.”
History, Culture, and Festivals
Las Cruces and nearby Mesilla carry deep Old West history. Kacie points out that Billy the Kid is “kind of a big name here,” especially around the Mesilla Plaza where he once walked the streets and was arrested. She recently learned that La Posta, a popular local restaurant she recommends to many of her relocating buyers, reportedly used to be the jail where he was held—another layer of lore for a place that already feels like a step back in time.
Modern festivals add their own flavor. The area shares White Sands’ balloon celebration, and Las Cruces has hosted the Whole Enchilada Festival, where organizers once made Guinness Book–sized enchiladas alongside big softball tournaments. Kacie still hopes that festival returns. The city also embraces events like Día de los Muertos downtown and what she refers to as a burning-man-style celebration, giving residents and visitors a set of culturally rich, distinctly local traditions.
Food and agriculture are intertwined with that culture. Hatch and the surrounding valley are famous for green chile, and Kacie notes that Las Cruces leans more toward Mexican and New Mexican cuisine than Tex-Mex, despite its proximity to Texas. She jokes that when she visits family in San Antonio and asks for green chile, “they’re like, ‘Here’s some jalapeños’ or ‘Here’s some bell peppers,’ and they don’t understand what green chili is.” In southern New Mexico, by contrast, chile is everywhere—on traditional dishes, ice cream, and even in wine.
“We’ve been taught by the best as far as food goes … and ours is just heavily sprinkled with green chili or red chili on everything.”
A Borderland City With a Distinct Identity
Las Cruces sits in a unique tri-state, cross-border region with El Paso, Texas, and neighboring Mexican communities. Kacie half-jokingly calls El Paso “the redheaded stepchild of Texas” because it feels so far removed geographically from the rest of the state. In her view, El Paso is “more part of New Mexico” than of central Texas, and she notes that Las Cruces, Alamogordo, and El Paso are gradually knitting together, especially along travel and commuting corridors.
Many Las Cruces residents use El Paso’s airport, and some locals cross into Mexico to shop at mercados. While Kacie admits she’s “too much of a chicken” to go herself—her parents warned her as a college student never to go to Juárez—she has friends who visit often and enjoy the markets and culture there. For newcomers, it’s another layer of choice and experience within a short drive.
The region’s bilingual character is also striking. Kacie says that in many department stores in El Paso, “Spanish is like the number one language and then English is not,” which can surprise visitors who aren’t expecting it. She sees this as a positive, giving people in Las Cruces the chance to experience more culture than they might in many other American cities and, if they wish, to learn or practice Spanish in everyday life.
Why Las Cruces Appeals to Retirees and Relocating Buyers
As Tego works through his statewide tour—having recently featured Farmington and now Las Cruces—he keeps coming back to a theme: New Mexico offers several communities that combine outdoor access, reasonable costs, and a laid-back pace that’s especially attractive for retirement and remote work.
Las Cruces fits that mold. Kacie points out that you can cross town without heavy traffic, enjoy a mild climate with few extreme weather events, and still be within reach of destinations like Ski Apache (about an hour and a half away) for winter recreation. There “isn’t big shopping,” she concedes, but that’s part of what maintains the small-town feel many of her clients are seeking.
For those who want both natural beauty and a sense of community, her elevator pitch is simple: you get sunsets, stars, and open sky; you can hike almost any time of year; and you live in a city where “everybody knows everybody” and shows up for local events. That combination of affordability, lifestyle, and culture is what keeps her in Las Cruces and what draws in many of her buyers from around the Southwest and beyond.
Kacie’s Local Guide and How She Helps Newcomers
To make the transition easier for people considering a move, Kacie has created a guide to Las Cruces that includes her favorite restaurants, local wineries and vineyards, hiking spots, and day-trip ideas. She even describes the area as “like the cheap Napa Valley” because of its wine country combined with lower costs.
She is especially active on Instagram, where she says her handle is “Casey Las Cruces realtor” with an underscore between each word, and she invites people to connect with her there or via her YouTube channel under her name, Kacie Henke. For those ready to talk specifics, she also shares her direct phone number on the show: 940-232-5573. Whether someone is just starting to research the area or is ready to schedule showings, her goal is to help them understand what life in Las Cruces really looks like—and whether that Hallmark-style small-town city might be the right fit for their next chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can Las Cruces feel like a small town if it’s New Mexico’s second-largest city?
Kacie explains that even with over 100,000 residents, Las Cruces feels like “one of those Hallmark movies” because people actually show up for festivals and local events. Without pro sports teams or constant big-city entertainment, community gatherings become the main attraction, and “everybody goes to it” and expects to see friends and neighbors there.
Is Las Cruces more affordable than Albuquerque?
Yes, at the time of Tego and Kacie’s conversation, the median sale price in Las Cruces was around $300,000—about $50,000 less than in Albuquerque. Kacie says that compared to Albuquerque and other places, Las Cruces is “one of the most affordable places in New Mexico,” with a wide range of options from new construction to resale homes and a relatively small luxury segment.
What is the weather like in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a dry desert climate that Kacie sums up as mostly “hot and windy.” Snow may appear briefly, but winters are generally mild. Unlike Tucson or Phoenix, where it can reach 120 degrees and stay hot, Las Cruces might hit 105 degrees but cools down at night, making evenings more comfortable. The lack of humidity and dramatic sunsets and sunrises are big parts of the appeal.
What kinds of outdoor and cultural activities are nearby?
Residents enjoy year-round hiking and outdoor recreation in and around the Organ Mountains. White Sands National Park is a short drive away and offers unique experiences like full-moon nights and the White Sands International Balloon Festival. Within the city and nearby Mesilla, there are historic sites connected to Billy the Kid, downtown festivals such as Día de los Muertos, and a calendar of culturally rooted community events.
How is the food scene in Las Cruces different from Tex-Mex?
Despite its proximity to Texas, Kacie says Las Cruces is not really Tex-Mex. She describes the local food as more influenced by Mexican and New Mexican traditions, with everything “heavily sprinkled with green chili or red chili.” She contrasts this with visits to San Antonio, where asking for green chile often results in being offered jalapeños or bell peppers instead.
Does living in Las Cruces connect you to El Paso and Mexico?
Yes. Many residents see El Paso as almost a sister city; Kacie jokes that it’s more like part of New Mexico than Texas. People commonly use El Paso’s airport for travel, and some cross into Mexico to shop at mercados. Spanish is widely spoken in the region, especially in El Paso, giving Las Cruces residents easy access to a rich, bilingual cultural environment while still living in a smaller, more relaxed community.
Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Second Largest City, has the best of both worlds. Small town charm, a vibrant local art scene, and all the luxuries of living in both city and rural!
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