Why So Many Americans Move To Arizona And Not New Mexico

Summary

This 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

00:00

🌟 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.

05:01

💧 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.

Keywords

💡New Mexico

New Mexico is a state in the southwestern United States known as the 'Land of Enchantment.' In the video, it is compared to its neighboring state, Arizona, in terms of population growth and development over the last century. The state's rich history, diverse culture, and natural beauty are highlighted, but it is also noted for its relatively slower growth compared to Arizona, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Arizona

Arizona is another state in the southwestern United States that has experienced significant growth over the last hundred years, as discussed in the video. It is positioned as a contrast to New Mexico, with a focus on the reasons behind its rapid population increase. The video explores how Arizona's access to water resources and a more temperate climate have contributed to its attractiveness to settlers and migrants.

💡Population Growth

Population growth is a central theme in the video, as it examines the differences in growth rates between New Mexico and Arizona. The script discusses how Arizona's population has grown multiple times more than New Mexico's over the same period. This growth is attributed to various factors such as water availability, climate, and economic opportunities, which are explored in detail.

💡Water Resources

Water resources play a critical role in the video's narrative, as they are identified as a key factor influencing the growth of Arizona versus New Mexico. The Colorado River, which provides a significant amount of water to Arizona, is contrasted with the smaller Rio Grande River, which serves New Mexico. The disparity in water availability is linked to the ability to support agriculture and population growth.

💡Agriculture

Agriculture is mentioned as a significant economic driver in the early 20th century for both states. The video suggests that Arizona's superior water resources allowed it to develop a more robust agricultural sector, which in turn attracted more settlers and contributed to its population growth. New Mexico's limited water resources, particularly from the Rio Grande, are presented as a constraint on its agricultural potential.

💡Climate

Climate is another key factor discussed in the video, particularly in relation to the differences in weather systems between Arizona and New Mexico. While both states have arid desert climates, the video notes that New Mexico's higher elevation results in colder winters compared to Arizona, especially in Phoenix. This climate difference is suggested to influence people's decisions to migrate to Arizona for its more comfortable living conditions.

💡Elevation

Elevation is used in the video to explain the climatic differences between Arizona and New Mexico. New Mexico's higher average elevation, especially in Albuquerque, leads to colder winters compared to Phoenix, Arizona, which is situated in a lower valley. This difference in elevation and its impact on climate is presented as a factor that might influence people's choice of where to live.

💡Phoenix

Phoenix is Arizona's largest city and a focal point in the video's discussion of population growth and urban development. The city's growth is attributed to its favorable climate, access to water, and economic opportunities. Phoenix's development is contrasted with Albuquerque's, highlighting the disparities in population size, industry, and amenities between the two states.

💡Albuquerque

Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest city and is used in the video to illustrate the state's growth in comparison to Arizona. Despite being the state's economic center, Albuquerque's growth and development are shown to be less significant than those of Phoenix, which is attributed to various factors including climate and water availability.

💡Snowbirds

Snowbirds is a term used in the video to describe people who migrate from colder northern cities to warmer climates, particularly in the winter months. The video suggests that Arizona, with its milder winters, has become a popular destination for snowbirds, contributing to its population growth and economic development.

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

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[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