Rio Rancho- not that great! - 8/1/2022

I have lived in the area for the past three years with my husband. Although vastly better than Albuquerque, this is not a safe area. We have had overt and petty crime on our property and no longer feel safe in our home. There are few restaurant and fewer entertainment options. The views are great, but the wind is greater. NM is NOT the state for us.

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As with everything, there are pros and cons - 3/4/2022

The pros: -Fairly good year-round weather. Sunny days outnumber cloudy days, there are days when the temps fall below freezing and the sun will still be shining. It's deceiving... -The school district is in the top 3 of the state. The main competitors are Santa Fe and Los Alamos. -There's still a smaller town feel. -There's a lot to do, Albuquerque is a short drive away. -Once you try chile, you'll never go back. -If you want to go into the medical field, UNM is the place to go for your education. -Almost everything in town is in the same 2 areas, so shopping is simpler. Cons: -There is a lot of car theft. Expect your car insurance to increase, and God help you if you have out-of-state plates. -RRPD is good, they respond to calls quickly. Don't expect the same from APD. On the other hand, watch your speed in RR, they love to stop speeders. -A lot of people can barely drive when it's dry, much less when it's wet. If you don't have to go somewhere when it's icy, don't go. I saw a lot of people sliding through intersections and crashing into others because they weren't being careful. -Red lights and stop signs seem to be optional. -It won't necessarily look "cold" outside. A 15 degree day can look the same outside as a 90 degree day. -It's very dry here. Drink plenty of water. Once you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

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Love it - 1/22/2020

Affordable housing, low crime (compared to Albuquerque), awesome weather with all 4 seasons, beautiful environment and some pretty awesome people. I love Rio Rancho, growing up in Albuquerque I always just thought of Rio as a boring little bedroom community but it’s honestly the place to be. It’s growing a lot, so there’s lot of new houses being put up, streets being widened, businesses and offices being built, etc. Lots of work here, blue collar or white collar. The weather is pretty awesome, the summers are kinda hot but no where as bad as Vegas or Phoenix and it’s not humid like Texas or anywhere else out east. The fall is beautiful, winter is short and not too bad, spring is beautiful. The people are honestly pretty great too, it’s a very politically diverse city; meaning that there’s lots of republicans, democrats and everything in between or outside. No matter what you believe, you’ll fit right in. If you’re thinking of moving to NM, I’d recommend Rio Rancho for sure. You’ll be in a safe area, large houses, nice weather, close proximity to the mountains, river, city, etc. If you’re coming from California, I’d totally recommend coming here instead of Texas or Arizona, please. Leave them alone

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Best place to live and work - 5/5/2018

Close to everything!

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Love it here - 2/25/2015

Rio Rancho has been great to my family. Cost of living is low, crime is low, good schools, food is great and the weather is unparalleled. If you enjoy the desert landscape, you will love it here. Fantastic view of the Sandias and Albuquerque is an easy commute. We love it.

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No comment - 3/15/2012

No comment

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Get me out of here!! - 8/18/2010

I've written 2 reviews, one shortly after we moved here and another after almost 3 years in RR, NM. Well, now going on to 5 years and HATE IT! People are rude, overly sensitive to what you say but don't have a problem letting you know what they think, education sucks - NM is in the bottom 7 in the country. Mountains are pretty but certainly not worth living in this vast desert wasteland. It is so windy in the spring, if you like open windows, forget it...or plan to dust constantly! Give me some green grass and tall trees - how's George Strait say it? "I'll be somewhere down in Texas if you're lookin' for me" Cannot wait to leave this little piece of hell! They aren't kidding when you hear "It's not the Land of Enchantment, it's the Land of Entrapment!"

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Compare round rock, TX with Rio Rancho, NM - 6/23/2010

Compare round rock, TX with Rio Rancho, NM

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Land of Enchantment - 6/17/2010

This is a suburb of Albuquerque and as such if you want theatre, good restaurants and special services you must drive. However it isn't as crime ridden and the lots can be bigger and area quieter. Access to the mountains is wonderful and also the airport. The traffic, while it is bad for the people who have lived here, is no where near most major metropolitan areas on the East Coast. What trumps anything negative (except the questionable public school situation) is the weather. FANTASTIC

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Depends on what you are looking for - 2/7/2010

I have lived in Albuquerque several years, and now live in Rio Rancho. I have also lived in other parts of NM and the US. I think Rio Rancho rates as one of the best places to live in the US, and I believe for the most part it deserves that reputation. Most of the crime stays in Albuquerque. If you intend to work in Albuquerque, crossing the bridges over the Rio Grande can be a bit of a problem. It has one of the highest Lesbian indices in the nation. It is a wonderful place for Lesbians as the cost of living is low compared to other places in the country where they congregate. There is a large lesbian community in Santa Fe, and that is a close city to Rio Rancho. The drug dealers and meth labs seem to be prospering as well. Since these activities aren't particularly labeled when you visit a neighborhood, I thought it would be worthwhile to mention their presence. There are two types of Hispanics here. The so called native Hispanics, and they for the most part control the state politically. There are many Hispanics who are from other areas such as Central and South America. Some speak English and some don't. They generally are good neighbors. The climate here is nice from my perspective. We miss a little of the cursed wind because of the location in the valley. Northern NM is a beautiful place to visit. The way I see it is that it isn't perfect, but it is hard to beat considering everything. Good Luck!

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Hmmm....after almost 3 years..... - 3/2/2009

Not so enamored anymmore! Too big too fast, too many kids in a classroom. School district broke but won't admit any fault - like most other people here, they want to blame someone else for their mistakes. I'd rather go home to Texas with my fellow Conservative Christians who believe in working for a living, not waiting for a handout! Besides that, yeah, the weather is dry and nice through June, July and August, but it's cold the rest of the year! Sorry Rio Rancho, I'd rather go home to Dallas!

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Fine place to live - 8/12/2008

I have lived in Rio Rancho for 4yrs. and like it very much. I dont understand the complaints of some people. I have lived all over the US and overseas, when I discharged from the military the only place on my mind to live was New Mexico. It had the best climate and culture of anywhere I have ever lived that includes the East and West coast as well as up North and to the South. Traffic is not anywhere near the Problem Ive seen in other places. My son is recieving a good education and has had no problems in this school district. Believe me there are much worse places in this coutry/world to live.

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A little too late - 7/12/2008

Imagine a city of over 71,000 and still no hospital.

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Relocating -- Any words of wisdom? - 1/7/2008

Hello! I'm relocating from South Texas for a job and wanted to know a little about Rio Rancho and Albuquerque...I have two young kids and for a safe, friendly environment with very good schools. What say you?! (*Also, affordable rentals are on my list of 'things to do'!) TKs, K

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There isn't anywhere better! - 4/6/2007

I absolutely love it here! I grew up in the midwest, Davenport, IA, moved to Dallas, TX as soon as I could to get away from the cold! Lived in Dallas for 20 years and moved to Great Bend, KS (truly the armpit of America!). After 3 1/2 miserable years, my husband suggested Albuquerque! Well, with family in Davenport and Dallas, this seemed like a bad idea, farther from everyone! After checking out the climate, I was ready! I miss my family but Albuquerque has a wonderful airport....we had to drive 2 hrs. to Wichita for an airport in KS! Despite what I've heard, we are not so far behind the times here. You want behind the times, backward thinking? Go to Kansas! You want great people and even better weather? This is the spot for you!!!

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Too much growth, not enough planning for residence - 4/3/2007

I moved to Rio Rancho five years ago. It was a very nice suburb then. In 2006, the growth has been enormous! The growth has mainly been single family housing. The market is incredibly saturated with new housing priced well above $199,000. The roads are currently being widened to accomodate all the growth and plans for a new "downtown" area, so the traffic is a bit stressing. Colinas del Norte elementary school is so over crowded, that the kids busses were arriving late to school. They are also going to begin the first lunch shift for the kids at 9:30am next year to accomodate the growth. There has been alot of parent "lobbying" for a new school to be built. The school is ment for 900 students, there are about 1,400 enrolled this year alone. There has been an increase in "tagging" and the suburb is not as peaceful since all the growth. Some may like the growth, but we want to relocate to a less busy place.

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Poor City Planning - 2/6/2007

This is an isolated community with inadequate highway connectors. Too much traffic.

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Love it here! - 7/20/2006

We moved here from the Gulf Coast in February of 2006. The hair and skin only take a few weeks to adjust, but they do adjust. The dry weather is wonderful and we no longer have to take our allergy medicine. We spend much more time outside since we no longer have to worry about feeding the mosquito population. (I have not seen a single one since we moved here.) There are so many more wonderful aspects to this area, but there is just not enough space to sing all of the praises. Just believe it is a great place to visit and/or live.

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BEAUTIFUL, BUT..... - 6/24/2006

Too hot during the summer. Too dry. Hair and skin change within a week. Lots of nosebleeds and sinus problems. Think CT of the sinuses keeps healthcare here boomin.

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weather - 4/4/2006

Weather is fair

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