Why So Many Americans Move To Arizona And Not New Mexico
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the contrasting growth of New Mexico and Arizona over the last century. Despite similar arid landscapes, Arizona has seen significantly more population growth, largely due to its access to the Colorado River and a more comfortable climate, particularly in winter. Phoenix, Arizona's largest city, has flourished with a larger population, a booming economy, and major sports teams, while Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, has seen slower growth. The video delves into historical, geographical, and climatic factors contributing to these differences.
Takeaways
- 🏜️ New Mexico and Arizona have a shared history and were once part of the same territory before becoming separate states.
- 🌱 Water availability is a significant factor in the growth disparity between Arizona and New Mexico, with Arizona benefiting more from the Colorado River.
- 🏙️ Phoenix, Arizona, has outpaced Albuquerque, New Mexico, in population growth and economic development, partly due to its more favorable climate and access to water.
- 🌡️ New Mexico's higher elevation leads to colder winters compared to Arizona, which affects its attractiveness to residents, especially 'snowbirds' fleeing colder climates.
- 📈 Arizona's population has grown exponentially more than New Mexico's over the last century, making it the 14th largest state in the US, while New Mexico ranks 36th.
- 🏞️ Despite being predominantly desert states, Arizona and New Mexico have different weather patterns, which influence their respective populations and growth.
- 🏛️ The historical debate over statehood for New Mexico and Arizona was influenced by the demographics and political climate of the time, with New Mexico's Mexican heritage playing a role.
- 🚂 The establishment of the transcontinental railroad and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo were pivotal in shaping the territories that would become New Mexico and Arizona.
- 🌎 The geographical features and climate of each state have had a lasting impact on their development, with Arizona's lower elevation and access to water being advantageous.
- 🌤️ The climate and weather differences between Phoenix and Albuquerque have contributed to the population shift, with Phoenix's milder winters being more appealing.
Q & A
Why is Arizona often preferred over New Mexico for relocation by Americans?
-Arizona has experienced more significant growth due to factors such as better water availability, particularly from the Colorado River, and a more comfortable climate, especially in winter, which attracts 'snowbirds' from colder northern cities.
How did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo impact the territories that became New Mexico and Arizona?
-The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 resulted in the United States gaining control over a vast territory that included what would become New Mexico and Arizona, among other states.
What was the role of the U.S. Civil War in determining the status of New Mexico and Arizona?
-During the U.S. Civil War, there was debate over whether New Mexico would enter the Union as a slave state or a free state. The Union won control of the territory, but the Confederates, based in Texas, continued to claim the southern part of New Mexico as Arizona.
When were New Mexico and Arizona admitted as states, and what were their populations at that time?
-New Mexico was admitted as a state on January 6, 1912, with a population of nearly 330,000 people, while Arizona was admitted shortly after on February 14, 1912, with just over 200,000 people.
How does the water availability differ between Arizona and New Mexico, and what is the impact on their growth?
-Arizona benefits from multiple water sources, including a sizable portion of the Colorado River delivered by an aqueduct, while New Mexico's largest river, the Rio Grande, is much smaller and has been a subject of legal battles over water rights. This has led to Arizona being able to better support agriculture and population growth.
What is the average elevation of New Mexico and Arizona, and how does it affect their climates?
-New Mexico exists at an average elevation of around 5,000 feet above sea level, with Albuquerque at 5,300 feet, while Arizona's average elevation is 4,000 feet, and Phoenix is at just over 1,200 feet. This difference contributes to Albuquerque experiencing colder winters compared to Phoenix, making Arizona more attractive for residents seeking a milder climate.
How has the agricultural industry in Arizona contributed to its population growth?
-Arizona's agricultural industry has been able to grow due to better water availability, which in turn attracted more people to support the industry, leading to increased population and economic growth.
What is the current population of New Mexico and Arizona, and how do they rank in terms of state size?
-As of the information provided, New Mexico has a population of just over 2.1 million people, making it the 36th largest state, while Arizona has over 7.3 million people, making it the 14th largest state.
How has the historical treatment of former Mexican citizens in New Mexico affected its statehood and growth?
-Many of the early residents of New Mexico were former Mexican citizens, and U.S. politicians did not intend to regard them on an equal level with American settlers. This may have contributed to slower statehood and growth compared to other territories.
What are some of the challenges that New Mexico has faced that have contributed to its slower growth compared to Arizona?
-New Mexico has faced challenges such as less water availability for agriculture, a colder climate which is less attractive to certain residents, and historical political decisions that have affected its statehood and growth.
Outlines
🌟 Arizona vs New Mexico: Growth and History
This paragraph introduces a comparison between Arizona and New Mexico, two states in the Southwest of the United States. It highlights the significant population growth of Arizona compared to New Mexico over the last century. The video aims to explore the reasons behind this disparity, despite New Mexico's enchanting beauty. The presenter, Jeff, invites viewers to learn about the intertwined history of the two states, which began as part of Mexico and later became U.S. territories. The script also promotes a related podcast episode on the topic of the potato, suggesting a broader thematic exploration of geography and its impact on culture and development.
💧 Water as a Key Factor in State Growth
The second paragraph delves into the critical role of water in the development of Arizona and New Mexico. It contrasts the water availability of the two states, with Arizona benefiting from the Colorado River, which provides a substantial water supply, while New Mexico relies on the smaller Rio Grande. This difference in water resources has historically influenced agricultural growth and population attraction. The paragraph also touches on the varying climates and elevations of the states, suggesting that Arizona's milder winters and lower elevations have made it a more attractive destination for settlers and retirees, contributing to its faster growth compared to New Mexico.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡New Mexico
💡Arizona
💡Population Growth
💡Water Resources
💡Agriculture
💡Climate
💡Elevation
💡Phoenix
💡Albuquerque
💡Snowbirds
Highlights
New Mexico and Arizona have a history of intertwined growth, with Arizona experiencing more significant population growth over the last century.
Arizona's growth has been multiple times more than New Mexico's since the last hundred years.
New Mexico, known as the 'Land of Enchantment,' has not grown as much as Arizona despite its beauty.
Historically, both Arizona and New Mexico were once part of Mexico and later became U.S. territories after the Mexican-American War.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase in 1854 played significant roles in shaping the territories that became New Mexico and Arizona.
During the U.S. Civil War, the territories of Arizona and New Mexico were contested, with the Confederates claiming parts of the region.
New Mexico and Arizona were initially one territory, but later split into two separate entities after the Civil War.
New Mexico was almost admitted as a state much earlier than 1912, but political factors delayed its statehood.
Arizona and New Mexico were both admitted to the Union in 1912, with New Mexico having a larger population at the time.
Arizona's access to the Colorado River, which provides a substantial water supply, has been a key factor in its growth compared to New Mexico.
New Mexico's largest river, the Rio Grande, is much smaller than the Colorado River, limiting its water resources for agriculture and population growth.
Phoenix, Arizona, has outpaced Albuquerque, New Mexico, in population and industry growth, partly due to its more favorable climate.
Albuquerque's higher elevation results in colder winters compared to Phoenix, making Arizona a more attractive destination for 'snowbirds'.
Arizona's population has grown to over 7.3 million, making it the 14th largest state, while New Mexico's population is just over 2.1 million.
Phoenix's metro area has nearly 5 million people and a robust economy, contrasting with Albuquerque's smaller 900,000 population and economy.
New Mexico has experienced double-digit growth every decade since 1970, but this growth is overshadowed by Arizona's more rapid expansion.
Challenges such as water scarcity and climate have contributed to New Mexico's slower growth compared to Arizona.
Transcripts
New Mexico is a beautiful state the land
of enchantment as it turns out is quite
enchanting but while New Mexico has
grown fairly consistently over the last
hundred years its neighboring state
Arizona has grown multiple times more
over the same time period here's why so
many Americans move to Arizona and not
New Mexico
[Music]
hello and welcome to geography by Jeff
today we're off to the Great Southwest
to look at two states in particular and
how they've grown over the last century
New Mexico and Arizona have quite the
entangled history as it turns out but
while Arizona has grown by an incredible
amount New Mexico simply hasn't which is
crazy because New Mexico is simply
beautiful and this is to take nothing
away from Arizona but the discrepancy
between the two states is actually
pretty jarring but of course as usual if
you enjoy my videos be sure to check out
my podcast geography is everything each
week myself and Professor Hunter shobi
tackle wildly different topic and look
at them through a geographic lens this
week we're going to explore the humble
potato you can listen to that podcast
right here on YouTube substack where
there's exclusive content or whatever
app you use
[Music]
thank you from the very beginning the
histories of Arizona and New Mexico have
been intertwined and much like its name
suggests New Mexico was once part of
Mexico proper in fact Not only was New
Mexico part of the current country of
Mexico but so too were the modern day
states of Texas Arizona Utah Nevada
California much of Colorado and a sliver
of Wyoming the vast majority of this
territory was won by the United States
during the Mexican-American war with the
signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo in 1848. the remainder of what
would become the contiguous United
States was purchased from Mexico in 1854
in order to build a southern
transcontinental rail this entire region
in between the newly minted states of
California and Texas would become the
New Mexico territory now as with many
states and territories during this
period of time the New Mexico territory
would get wrapped up in the U.S Civil
War where it was constantly debated on
whether it would be entered into the
Union as a slave state or as a free
state in fact both the union and
Confederates claimed the territory under
their respective banners the union would
eventually win the territory but the
Confederates based in Texas would
continue to claim the southern part of
the territory and March under a
different flag and name entirely Arizona
and despite the current incarnation of
the two states the Confederates actually
cut the territory into a northern half
and a southern half of which they
claimed the southern half for which they
believed would become the Confederate
State of Arizona of course Arizona and
New Mexico don't look like this today
shortly after the war ended in 1865 the
reunited U.S government would sort out
the territory into the New Mexico
territory in the East and the Arizona
territory in the west the Northwest
portion of the New Mexico territory
would also be given to Nevada which was
admitted into the Union in 1864. and
Colorado would take the Northeast
portion it would be another 47 years
before New Mexico or Arizona would be
admitted into the Union as a full state
but the original intent was that New
Mexico would be entered into the full
State much sooner than 1912. in 1888
president Grover Cleveland proposed
admitting the territory into the country
along with Washington Montana and Dakota
but would lose that battle due to
shifting political wins but even in 1888
New Mexico wasn't a place to be
considered for Statehood for many years
prior Nevada for example was it entered
into the union with less than ten
thousand people living in it at that
time New Mexico had nearly 100 000
people but most of those people were
former Mexican citizens and U.S
politicians had no intention of
regarding them on an equal level as
American settlers to Nevada Arizona it
should be pointed out would be excluded
from statehood for similar reasons New
Mexico would ultimately be admitted to
the state on January 6 1912 and Arizona
would be admitted shortly after on
February 14 1912. and during this time
of admittance New Mexico would have
nearly 330 000 people living in it while
Arizona would have just over 200 000
people this is a far cry from where the
two states are today New Mexico and
Arizona share a unified history even
after they were split up as separate
territories they remained linked for a
long time
but beginning in the mid-1900s something
started happening Arizona began pulling
away from New Mexico
and there's a reason for that but before
we get into why so many Americans moved
to Arizona and not New Mexico if you're
enjoying this video now would be a great
time to subscribe more fun geography
videos are just a single click away
[Music]
as already mentioned New Mexico would
start out its life as a state with far
more people than Arizona but it wouldn't
take too long before this starts to
change by 1950 Arizona begins to outpace
New Mexico handily with over 750 000
people to New Mexico's six hundred and
eighty thousand and from there the Gap
just gets wider
and this is interesting because from the
outside the two states look pretty
similar mostly because both are
predominantly dry arid deserts aside
from specific areas
and this leads us to our likely number
one reason for the two's relative growth
water
it might seem odd that too mostly desert
States would have a huge difference in
the amount of water available but that
is actually the case here you see
Arizona is fed by multiple different
water sources but a large part of its
water comes from the Colorado River a
river that also feeds the states of
Colorado Nevada Wyoming California and
New Mexico but just a smidge
and in this equation Arizona gets a
sizable portion of the Colorado River
delivered by an extensive aqueduct
meanwhile New Mexico's largest river
that goes through it is the Rio Grande
but the Rio Grande is much smaller than
the Colorado River and New Mexico
doesn't get it all in fact New Mexico
and Texas had been locked in a legal
battle over who has access to the
majority of the river's water until very
recently but also these two rivers are
not equal the Colorado River has an
average discharge of about 22 500 cubic
feet of water per second
and the Rio Grande has an average
discharge of about 2 400 cubic feet per
second which means that there is flatly
less water for New Mexico to use for
things like Agriculture and especially
in the early part of the 20th century
agriculture was a huge economic
generator
if your state wasn't able to grow as
much fewer people would move there
overall this of course is no longer the
case today but it had knock-on effects
as Arizona was able to grow its
agricultural industry it attracted
additional people to support the
increase in population
this would directly lead to the City of
Phoenix outpacing New Mexico's largest
city Albuquerque in almost every
industry but there's also another thing
at play here
[Music]
as we've already mentioned Arizona and
New Mexico share a mostly dry arid
climate throughout the state but despite
this similarity the two states weather
systems are actually quite different
you see New Mexico exists at an average
elevation of around 5000 feet above sea
level in its largest city Albuquerque is
at 5 300 feet above sea level
if we contrast this to Arizona the
differences start to emerge
while Arizona's average elevation is
still a relatively High 4000 feet above
the sea level Phoenix has managed to
grow in a valley that's much lower
Phoenix home to millions of arizonans is
just over 1200 feet of elevation and
this has had a huge impact on the
relative comfort for people living there
what this basically boils down to is
that while both Phoenix and Albuquerque
get quite hot in the summer in the
winter Albuquerque gets much colder
the average low during the fall and
winter months can range anywhere between
the low 40s all the way down to the low
teens
Phoenix meanwhile stays at a relatively
comfortable temperature throughout
winter and this means that people who
are fleeing from the colder Northern
cities also called snowbirds have
inevitably chosen Phoenix and Arizona as
their destination rather than
Albuquerque or New Mexico at Large
[Music]
today New Mexico has a population just
over 2.1 million people making it the
36th largest state overall meanwhile
Arizona has over 7.3 million people
making it the 14th largest state
that's nearly three and a half times the
size of New Mexico and this has trickled
down throughout both States
Phoenix has nearly 5 million people in
its metro area and has attracted an
industry and economy to match as well as
major league sports teams in four of the
five major leagues in the U.S meanwhile
Albuquerque has a relatively small 900
000 people in its Metro region a smaller
economy and no major league sports teams
and this isn't to say that New Mexico
and Albuquerque aren't growing they
definitely are
between 1970 and 2010 New Mexico grew by
double digits every single decade
that's pretty phenomenal growth that
many states would envy
but compared to its neighbor Arizona
it's peanuts New Mexico is a phenomenal
state that has a lot going for it today
but it's had a unique set of challenges
that's led to some rather anemic growth
over the 20th century challenges its
neighbor Arizona didn't have quite as
much of and because of those challenges
so many more people continue to move to
Arizona over New Mexico today I hope you
enjoyed learning about why so many
Americans choose to move to Arizona over
New Mexico if you did please subscribe
to my channel and if you want to watch
more of my videos you can do so here
thanks for watching see you next time
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