New Mexico
A Gen Xer who moved from Florida to New Mexico saves $1,000 a month and feels safer from climate disasters
- Chris Gates left Miami Beach for Santa Fe due to climate concerns and cost savings.
- Florida’s flood risks and rising insurance costs made Gates worry about retiring there.
- Gates saves $1,000 monthly in New Mexico in HOA fees and home insurance.
After living in Miami Beach for two decades, Chris Gates was fed up.
The 61-year-old pharmacist had met with city officials and sent letters advocating for Miami to invest more in climate solutions, only to watch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis roll back state climate actions and scrub any mention of climate from many laws.
“I saw the writing on the wall,” Gates told Business Insider. “I’m five years away from planned retirement, and I was worried about the cost of living and my quality of life. I’ve been through flooding in South Beach and still see people posting pictures of the same problems.”
Gates said he considers himself a “climate mover” in deciding to relocate to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2023. Florida’s vulnerability to the climate crisis, combined with rising costs of living and being closer to his mom and brother, were the main reasons he left Miami Beach. Now Gates is saving about $1,000 a month on home insurance and HOA fees, according to documents shared with BI. He also feels safer knowing that New Mexico has a statewide climate plan.
Gates joins many older Americans who’ve moved in search of a lower cost of living for retirement, but is rare in that he left Florida — which still has a fast-growing population. While there’s little data indicating climate risks like hurricanes and wildfires are directly causing massive migration, Gates’s story suggests it may become more of a factor.
Saving $1,000 a month
Gates sold his condo at a luxury building in South Beach for $710,000 in December 2022, according to documents reviewed by BI, earning him about $415,000 in net profit. That year, his HOA fees were nearly $1,200 a month and covered amenities like a pool and gym. Condo insurance was about $190 a month.
He rented an apartment for a couple of years in Santa Fe before buying a $227,000 fixer-upper in February. The HOA fees are about $250 a month and insurance is $72. There aren’t many perks, like a gym, pool, or management office, Gates said, but he has more peace of mind.
“If I were to stay in Florida until I’m 90, chances are a lot of bad stuff will happen,” Gates said. “That’s just my opinion and climate scientists agree. I’m not a millionaire, so I’m not gonna put all my eggs in one basket down there.”
Rising risks and costs
While Miami is carrying out its own climate action strategy, Gates wanted faster progress on installing solar panels on government buildings and new infrastructure to protect properties from flooding as hurricanes become more destructive. The extreme weather, among other factors, is also making home insurance more expensive in Florida.
Miami’s average elevation is six feet, and scientists predict sea levels will rise by the same amount by the end of the century. Sea levels in Miami already rose about six inches between 1986 and 2016. Meanwhile, the frequency of flooding from high tides has increased by over 400% in Miami Beach since 2006.
The city has been investing in a climate resiliency strategy, including raising roads and installing water pumps. In February, local commissioners also unveiled plans for more than $1 billion in anti-flooding water and sewer projects, which will be paid in part by hiking residents’ utility rates every year through 2030, the Miami Herald reported. Residents said it would make the city less affordable at a time when rent, HOA fees, and insurance are all rising.
That cycle worried Gates, as well.
“Taxes and other bills will have to go up a lot to cover for these infrastructure projects,” he said. “I don’t want to be caught up in this cycle.”
Gates acknowledged that New Mexico comes with its own risks, including wildfires and extreme heat. But he feels better knowing that there’s a statewide plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to extreme weather led by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
“Moving to New Mexico made me feel like I’m part of the solution rather than part of the problem,” Gates said. “I know that every time I pay my electric bill, my utility is switching to renewables faster than many places in the country.”
Have you moved for financial, lifestyle, or climate reasons? Contact this reporter at cboudreau@businessinsider.com.
Leapfrog released its 2026 spring hospital safety grades.
Grades are assigned based on overall performance, including patient safety.
The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to publicly report patient safety and quality information for the benefit of consumers, purchasers, and referring physicians as they make decisions about where to seek care and where to direct patients,” the company stated on its website.
Here’s how your local hospitals performed.
MountainView Regional Medical Center – A
Leapfrog gave MountainView an “A.”
“Being the only hospital in Doña Ana County to earn an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group speaks to the high standards our team sets – and meets – every day,” said MountainView CEO Patrick Shannon. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees to deliver the safest care possible for our community.”
“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that MountainView is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”
The hospital performed better than average in several areas including low infection rates, addressing safety problems, and ICU care. The hospital received below average performances ratings in surgical site infections post colon surgery, communication about medicine and discharge, communication with doctors and nurses and nursing and bedside care for patients.
Memorial Medical Center – B
Memorial Medical Center received a “B” grade from Leapfrog.
The hospital performed well in effective leadership, reduction and prevention of infections and addressing safety problems.
The hospital received below average ratings for kidney injury after surgery, serious breathing problems, harmful events, communication about medicine and discharge, and communication with doctors and nurses.
Not rated by Leapfrog were Three Crosses Regional Hospital.
Nearby top rated hospitals
Leapfrog gave an A to William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso received a B.
How did other New Mexico hospitals perform?
A recipients were:
- CHRISTUS Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo
B recipients were:
- Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque
C recipients were:
- Carlsbad Medical Center in Carlsbad
- CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa FE
- Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell
- Lovelace Medical Center-Downtown in Albuquerque
- Lovelace Regional Hospital in Roswell
- Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque
- University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque
D recipients were:
- San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho
Explore the full survey results at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
Jessica Onsurez is editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News. Reach her by email at jonsurez@usatodayco.com.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
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