Edgewood, NM, United States

6,174 residents and a sprawling, checkerboard town boundary - welcome to the reality of Edgewood, New Mexico. Founded by homesteaders, this Albuquerque-adjacent community has seen rapid growth, with annexations expanding its borders in messy ways. Despite efforts to avoid bringing in unwilling properties, Edgewood's local government has weathered public debate and legal challenges over its expanding reach. And with a median household income of $42,500, the town's demographics skew toward middle-class families, not the high-flying professionals typically drawn to the Southwest. If you can navigate the bureaucratic headaches, Edgewood may offer an affordable alternative to pricier enclaves in the region.