Should I Move To
Roswell, New Mexico is home to about 48,035 people. On cost of living, it lands in the very affordable band — 18% below the national average. The median renter pays around $855 a month against a typical household income of $48,298. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 53 out of 100 (grade C-), putting it at #380 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Roswell's composite cost-of-living index lands at 82 (100 = US average), which puts it in the very affordable band. At $855/mo against $48,298 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 21% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $130,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 92°F, winter averages around 29°F. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Air quality reads good (AQI 38).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Roswell doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (93/100); weakest on education (9/100).
Roswell reads as a moderate fit for retirees. It earns 64/100 (grade C+) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (93/100); weakest on education (9/100).
Roswell reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns 71/100 (grade B) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (93/100); weakest on education (9/100).
Roswell doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 51/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (93/100); weakest on education (9/100).
Roswell, New Mexico pulls a 53/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #380 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Roswell's cost-of-living index is 82 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 18% below the national average. Median rent runs about $855/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 92°F, winter averages around 29°F, with about 18 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 60/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Roswell has about 48,035 residents, 18% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Roswell head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Roswell stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Roswell with other New Mexico cities scored on UrbRank.
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