Roswell, NM: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Roswell ( ROZ-well) is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous city in New Mexico. It is home to the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), founded in 1891. The city is also the location of an Eastern New Mexico University campus. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located a few miles northeast of the city on the Pecos River. Bottomless Lakes State Park is located 12 miles (19 km) east of Roswell on US 380. Chaves County forms the entirety of the Roswell micropolitan area. The Roswell incident in 1947 was named after the town, though the crash site of the alleged UFO was so…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Roswell ranks

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#11Most walkable in NM #20Shortest commute in NM #20Most affordable in NM All NM rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code88201, 88202, 88203

Area code575

Living in Roswell

Housing in Roswell

$177K▲ 1.2% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Roswell home is worth about $177,000, up 1.2% in a year, 45% below the New Mexico typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market17

Sold in May36

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Roswell

D

Safety Grade D

Roswell reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less. Within New Mexico, it does better than 28% of towns.

Violent crime per 1,000

Roswell 6.6

New Mexico 6.5

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Roswell 23.3

New Mexico 23.5

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Roswell

Compared with New Mexico

10worse than NM

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 22 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▼ 11 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

20.6%More uninsured adultsNM 15.6% · worse 26.9%More adults facing food insecurityNM 20.9% · worse 14.3%More adults facing a utility shut-offNM 11.2% · worse

Care nearby

Lovelace Regional Hospital - RoswellRoswell · 3 mi · ER

La Casa Family Health CenterRoswell · 0.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Roswell · CMS · HRSAHealth in Roswell →

Schools in Roswell

All Roswell schools →

C⁻

School Grade C-

The public schools Roswell’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 81% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

#23Best public schoolsof 47 in NM

DistrictROSWELLSchools20

Del Norte Elementary BElementary · Grades K–5 · 518 students Military Heights Elementary B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 426 students Valley View Elementary B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 388 students El Capitan Elementary BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 380 students Monterrey Elementary BElementary · Grades K–5 · 373 students Missouri Ave Elementary BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 322 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NM. Ratings are from neighbors.