Rio Rancho is the 35th best place in America for families

National study ranks Rio Rancho as second most affordable city in the Western U.S.

A new national study has ranked Rio Rancho as the second most affordable city in the western…

The city of Rio Rancho continues to garner national acclaim.

After a national study has ranked Rio Rancho as the second most affordable city in the western United States last week, Fortune released a report Thursday that ranked Rio Rancho as the 35th best place in America for families to live.

The third annual Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families 2024, showcases the cities and towns across America that best support the unique needs of multigenerational families. Two cities — top-ranked Silver Spring, Maryland, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire — made the top 10 for the second year in a row. Iowa City is the only locale to make the list three years in a row.

This year's Fortune 50 Best Places to Live highlights a city in each state where multigenerational families are most likely to have access to great schools, highly recommended hospitals, affordable housing, resources for older adults and a strong sense of community. The ranking is created annually as part of Fortune Well, Fortune's health and wellness hub, which features tips and insights working professionals need to thrive in their careers and personal lives.

Rio Rancho was the choice in New Mexico.

“I have to give kudos to everybody from the city council and the staff that work so hard to make the city what it is today,” Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said. “It's a team effort. It's not the result of one person's work. It's the result of a lot of people pulling together with a unified vision to make our community work and be very attractive. That attracts more families and it also attracts more businesses and so I am very excited about once again being nationally ranked and recognized.”

According to the report, “Rio Rancho has all of the benefits of a city with a more rural vibe. Residents have access to several outdoor adventures, during which they can soak up 330 days of sunshine a year in a place framed by mesas and deserts.

"Less than a decade ago, the city implemented a plan to restore and preserve open spaces. With more than 50 parks plus bike paths and trails, it’s always easy to find something to do outside — and sometimes you can add a history lesson, too. Petroglyph National Monument, filled with ancient rock carvings and hiking trails, and Bandelier National Monument, honoring the Puebloan people, aren’t far away. There’s also the Coronado Historic Site, featuring the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo. And golfers will delight in the stunning Twin Warriors Golf Club, just a 20-minute drive away.

"Rio Rancho is known as 'the City of Vision,' a moniker befitting the city’s developing economy and tourism sector. It’s one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing cities and is home to Intel Fab11X, one of the world’s largest semiconductor plants.

"A safe and laid-back community, Rio Rancho is a good place to put down roots with plenty to offer energetic kids. There’s a trampoline park and the Galloping Goat Youth Ranch, that features a petting zoo and activities like pumpkin bowling.”

Fortune also independently evaluated more than 2,000 cities, towns, suburbs, exurbs, villages and townships with approximately 20,000 residents or more in all 50 states. This wide-ranging analysis provided a broad array of places that offer essential resources from health care to education as well as a sense of community. The methodology can be found here.

"The 50 Fortune Best Places to Live for Families list is based on a robust data set to help our readers find places to settle down with ample resources to support their families for the future," said Fortune senior reporter Alexa Mikhail, who dove into data sets to develop the ranking. "Where we live plays a critical role in determining the strength of our community ties, which most heavily impacts our well-being, happiness, and health at work and at home. It's why a list like this is critical."