City comparison
Las Cruces, NM is about 150 miles (250 km) from Roswell, NM in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Las Cruces, NM to Roswell, NM takes about 18 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Las Cruces has a population of 111,273, vs 48,035 in Roswell — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Las Cruces covers about 77 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Roswell.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Las Cruces | Roswell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $907/mo | $855/mo | 6.1% higher in Las Cruces |
| Median home value | $197,200 | $130,200 | 51.5% higher in Las Cruces |
| Median household income | $51,013 | $48,298 | 5.6% higher in Las Cruces |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 82.2 | 82.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.1 | 99.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.0 | 99.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Las Cruces, you'd need $99,818 in Roswell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Las Cruces and Roswell have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Las Cruces, you'd need about $79,854 in Roswell to keep the same standard of living.