Las Cruces vs Los Angeles
The short version
- Las Cruces is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 21% lower than in the Los Angeles area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $231,700 in Las Cruces and $921,200 in Los Angeles.
- Households earn more in Los Angeles ($81,939 vs $55,422 median).
- Los Angeles has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 59°F.
- Las Cruces has more scorching days: 109 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 26.
- Las Cruces is growing faster: +5% since 2020 vs -0.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Las Cruces (19 vs 31 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Las Cruces, NM | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 116,978 | 3,869,089 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5% | -0.8% |
| People per square mile | 1,521 | 8,223 |
| Median age | 33.0 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $55,422 | $81,939 |
| Median home value | $231,700 | $921,200 |
| Home value to income | 4.2× | 11.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $974 | $1,933 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.2 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 63.0 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,700 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 36% |
| Top state income tax | 5.9% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.68% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.9 | 30.7 |
| Work from home | 11% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7% | 8.2% |
| Poverty rate | 22.6% | 16.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 30° | 68° / 49° |
| July high / low | 96° / 69° | 82° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 109 | 26 |
| Nights below freezing | 69 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.1 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 27% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.4% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +41.8% | +31.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Las Cruces: April and October. Los Angeles: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Las Cruces weather by month and Los Angeles weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,700 in Las Cruces and $85,200 in Los Angeles. Moving from Las Cruces to Los Angeles, you would need about $94,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Las Cruces and Los Angeles
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Las Cruces and Los Angeles.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.