August 20, 2025

Albuquerque, NM — New Mexico residents are feeling a bit more stressed today than they did 10 years ago, according to the 2025 Garrity Perception Survey (GPS ’25). The findings show that 31% of New Mexico residents have a great deal of stress, an increase from 24% in the 2015 Garrity Perception Survey.

The Garrity Group Public Relations commissioned Albuquerque’s Research & Polling Inc. to conduct the scientific survey. A random sample of 415 New Mexico residents were interviewed for the survey between Feb. 3-16, 2025. Research & Polling Inc. also conducted the 2015 survey (conducted from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2015) and all other GPS surveys since 2011.

According to the GPS ’25, 31% of residents report a high level of stress, while 28% report a low level of stress. Residents who are more apt to report high levels of stress include:

• Women (39%) compared to men (22%).
• People between the ages of 18-34 years.
• Residents earning less than $40,000 of annual income (46%) report having high levels of stress compared to those with lower stress who report earning more than $80,000 of annual income (25%).
• Residents living in Eastern New Mexico report having high levels of stress (41%) compared to North Central New Mexico who report having low levels of stress (36%).

The survey findings align with WalletHub’s latest study (https://wallethub.com/edu/most-stressful-states/32218), which ranked New Mexico as the most stressed U.S. state in 2025. According to the study, residents are mainly concerned about their safety, citing high violent and property crime rates. According to the study, New Mexico has the third-highest poverty rate in the country. The state has the highest separation and divorce rate.

Money and work were also the key stressors when residents were first asked about their stress levels in the 2015 GPS. That year, New Mexico’s unemployment rate stood at 6.7%, which was above the national average. During the 2025 survey period, New Mexico’s unemployment rate was reported to be 4.4% (New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions).

Like many other states, New Mexico continues to face inflation struggles with everyday expenses becoming harder to manage. A gallon of gas, for instance, averaged $2.43 in 2015 and now costs about $2.96. These economic pressures have contributed to a growing homelessness crisis, with some individuals facing unsafe and unstable living conditions.

Other comparisons between the 2015 and 2025 Garrity Perception Survey Results of overall stress of New Mexico during the past month:

About The Garrity Group

Established in 1997, The Garrity Group helps small businesses to be heard and large organizations to be understood. The firm provides media relations and community engagement services for companies and organizations with a presence in New Mexico. For more information about the firm and our services, please visit www.garritypr.com. Download your copy of the 2025 Garrity Perception Survey by visiting: https://garritypr.com/research/.