Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Mexico instead of Nebraska, you would:
Health
be 13.9% less likely to be obese
In Nebraska, 37.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In New Mexico, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2022.
live 3.2 years less
In Nebraska, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In New Mexico, that number is 74 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
make 23.7% less money
Nebraska has a GDP per capita of $73,391 as of 2024, while in New Mexico, the GDP per capita is $56,008 as of 2024.
be 40.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Nebraska, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New Mexico, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
be 80.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Nebraska, 9.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In New Mexico, however, that number is 17.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.3 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Nebraska has a violent crime rate of 225 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Mexico, that number is 745 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 48.3% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Nebraska has a property crime rate of 1,937 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Mexico, that number is 2,872 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 17.2% less money
The median household income in Nebraska is $74,985 as of 2023, while in New Mexico, it is $62,125 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 2.1 years older on average
The median age in Nebraska is 37.1 years as of 2023. In New Mexico, the median age is 39.2 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 32.0% less densely populated
Nebraska has a population density of 10.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In New Mexico, that number is 6.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 18.6% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Nebraska, 4.3% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In New Mexico, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
commute 4.1 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Nebraska takes 19.1 minutes as of 2023. In New Mexico, it takes 23.2 minutes as of 2023.
be 31.0% more likely to be uninsured
In Nebraska, 7.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In New Mexico, that number is 9.3% as of 2023.
be 11.6% more likely to smoke
In Nebraska, 14.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In New Mexico, that number is 16.4% as of 2022.
be 38.1% more likely to be food insecure
In Nebraska, 9.7% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In New Mexico, that number is 13.4% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
