Why isn't NM growing fast like other SW states ?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

It always been an odd state to me. It is stagnant in population while other states in the region like Texas , Arizona, Colorado , Nevada and Utah are booming.

It has the same climate as a place like Arizona which has a huge retiree population and a booming Hispanic population.

So why aren't people moving there ?

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Smaller Mormon population=lower population rates of increase.

Also, NM doesn't have a large city like Las Vegas or Phoenix.

Albuquerque (pop = 556,493) not a big city? Its almost as big as Vegas.

That's the city population though. The Albuquerque metro population is around 900,000 while metro Phoenix is 3,000,000 + and metro Denver is 2,500,000 +. 

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

I've never entirely understood what people...do...in New Mexico. There are a few ranches in the eastern part of the state. They have some oil and gas, but not much.

You've got the research labs at Los Alamos, but not everyone is a nuclear physicist.

So do other people just work as seasonal ski bums and sell art?

Texans are Cowboys and Oilmen, Coloradans are pot smoking snowboarders, and I have no idea for New Mexico. It seriously has nothing unique to me.