Livability.com released its 2023 100 Best Places to Live in America on Friday, and Rio Rancho had the 86th best Quality of Life LivScore.

Rio Rancho scored a 706 0on the list, which was curated by Livability and Applied Geographic Solutions based on about 100 data points measuring eight broad categories:

  • Economy, including data points like:
    • Unemployment rate
    • Employment opportunity index
    • Income relative change
  • Housing & Cost of Living, including data points like:
    • Tax rates
    • Home & rental affordability indexes
    • Income inequality index
  • Amenities, including data points like:
    • Cultural amenities (museums, arts, etc.)
    • Leisure amenities (parks, golf, sports venues, etc.)
    • Shopping/retail/nightlife indexes
  • Transportation, including data points like:
    • Walkability
    • Median commute time
    • Average vehicles per household
  • Environment, including data points like:
    • Population density
    • Air quality
    • Various natural disaster risks
  • Safety, including data points like:
    • Various crime rates
  • Education, including data points like:
    • School quality
    • Educational attainment
  • Health, including data points like:
    • Life expectancy
    • Doctor & hospital access

Based on a proprietary algorithm weighting each of the categories, more than 2,000 cities that fit the population constraint (75,000-500,000) were assigned a LivScore. Rio Rancho was the only city in New Mexico to make the top 100 list.

“Rio Rancho’s healthy environment makes it one of the best places to live in the U.S., along with a variety of housing options and an affordable cost of living,” according to the report. “In addition, the city offers residents a relatively low cost of living, ample job opportunities, and quality public and private schools, making it a great place for young families and young professionals to settle down.”