The region that would one day be known as New Mexico was perhaps first settled by the “Clovis People,” a Paleo-Indian culture known mostly by their stone tools, and named after the modern city near where their remains were first found. Much later, the region was split among the Mogollon people, the Hohokam, and the Ancestral Pueblos. 

European contact came in the mid-1500s as Spain sought gold and silver ever farther north of their South- and Central-American colonies. By 1598, the Province of New Mexico was formed. Early Spanish dominance was challenged by local peoples, but by 1706 they had the region firmly in hand. 

By 1800, 25,000 Europeans were living in New Mexico. When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, New Mexico came with it. The Republic of Texas claimed much of this territory when it seceded from Mexico in 1836, but failed to actually control it. 

The US fought a war with Mexico in 1846-48, and Mexico ceded much of what was to become the modern states of New Mexico, Texas, and California to the US. More of the state’s final boundaries came under US control with the Gadsden purchase of 1853. 

In the civil war, New Mexico mostly backed the Union. After the war, New Mexico gained fame as the place of origin of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Maria Gertrudis Barcelo, and Elfego Baca. New Mexico became the 47th US state in 1912.

With the discovery of oil in the state in 1928, the first real New Mexico land rush began. The extraction and sale of this resource brought in wealth, and land for sale in New Mexico began to be desirable to people “back east.” However, the era of “cheap land in New Mexico” would continue for many decades. 

New Mexico is the 5th largest US state by area, at 121,590 square miles. However, it is only 36th in population size at 2,120,220 residents as of 2020. That makes it 46th in terms of population density. Does that mean there is cheap land in New Mexico? Yes. Yes it does. You'll also find plenty of land for sale in New Mexico that is very expensive. It’s like they say, location, location, location. 

New Mexico is the southernmost rocky mountain state, bordering Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma, and the Mexican States of Sonora and Chihuahua. Yes, that’s where the dogs are from. New Mexico’s capital, Santa Fe, is the oldest state capital in the nation. It was founded in 1610, when the region then known as Nuevo México belonged to the colony of “New Spain.” 

New Mexico is the 5th largest US state by area, at 121,590 square miles. However, it is only 36th in population size at 2,120,220 residents as of 2020. That makes it 46th in terms of population density. Does that mean there is cheap land in New Mexico? Yes. Yes it does. You'll also find plenty of land for sale in New Mexico that is very expensive. It’s like they say, location, location, location. 

New Mexico has a varied climate, supporting lush forests, arid deserts, and rugged mountains. The fertile Rio Grande river valley cuts across the center of the state from north to south, further complicating its climate zones. 

The federal government owns roughly 1/3 of the land area of New Mexico, including many UNESCO World Heritage sites, national monuments, and protected wilderness areas.

Most of the best colleges, universities, and technical schools in NM can be found in and around Albuquerque. As a result, New Mexico land is at a premium in and around the state’s largest city. However, the state has many great schools scattered all over. If you do want to find cheap land New Mexico can provide, you won’t have to drive across 100 miles of desert to get to college. 

The state’s school system is known for its dedication to groundbreaking scientific research, a solid technical education, and supplying the experts and technicians the state’s thriving industries need to build a future in this new, greener century. 

A short list of the state’s best colleges and universities might include:

The University of New Mexico was founded in 1889 in Albuquerque.  It enrolls around 16,000 undergraduate students every year, and charges around $25,000 per year for out-of-state students. State residents of course pay much less. 

New Mexico State University in Las Cruces is the main campus, with 4 more locations across the state. It takes in just under 12,000 students every year, and offers a similar fee schedule to UNM above. NMSU is also home to the Chile Pepper Institute. 

St. John’s College in Santa Fe is one of the state’s oldest private colleges. Founded in 1696, St. John’s comes in a number 96 of all the Liberal Arts colleges in the US. It is a very small school, accepting just over 260 undergraduate students every year. Tuition and fees come in at around $36,000 – with no discount for residency. 

New Mexico Tech was founded in 1889. It is tied for the #20 places among regional universities (West). It accepts around 1,200 students each year at the undergrad level, and offers similar tuition rates to other state schools.

Where Can I Find Cheap Land for Sale in New Mexico?

Anywhere you look, you’ll find land for sale in New Mexico. Granted, a thriving hotel or an even rarer undeveloped lot in Santa Fe isn’t going to be “cheap” in any absolute sense, but compared to the real estate prices on the east or west coasts, it’ll be a steal. 

The real question is what kind of New Mexico land are you really looking for? Are you interested in developing BLM land in New Mexico? Land for sale in Northern New Mexico? We can help you find it. Off grid land for sale in New Mexico? There is plenty of that. Land for sale in Albuquerque, New Mexico? New Mexico mountain land for sale? Just let us know. 

Hunting Land For Sale in New Mexico

New Mexico is not just the deserts and stark, beautiful vistas you see in cowboy movies. The Rio Grande valley is some of the nation’s best farmland, and the forests support game in huge numbers. New Mexico hunting land is very popular, and there is plenty of forest land for sale. New Mexico hunters can tell you all about it.

NM’s bustling economy, high standard of living, and beautiful countryside all argue strongly for moving in, and that means land in New Mexico doesn’t linger unsold for long. However, odds are that New Mexico land will be available for some time – after all, it isn’t very densely populated. 

When you’re ready, we’ll help you find the piece of New Mexico real estate for you, your career, your education, and/or your family.