Currently the population of Roswell, New Mexico is 48,186. 68.8% is above 18 years of age. 16.1% is over 65, so it's certainly not a retirement community. The median age is 32.
62.2% of the people here are white but, wandering around, I see "red and yellow, black and white" Listening carefully, I pick up accents from all over the world. I'm sure the college and military institute draw a lot of people into the mix.
24.2% of the residents are below the poverty income, meaning that more than a third of their income goes to housing New Mexico is a poor state but it makes up for that by, it seems, genuinely caring for its people. Services are accessible and effective. There is a significant homeless population. I don't know how many but in 2017, a point in time survey indicated that there were 106 homeless and unsheltered people.(reported in 2022 by RDR News). The median income of Roswellians is $43,481. The median income for the United States is $39,982.
81.3% of the population above the age of 25 are high school graduates. 19.6 % have a bachelor's degree or higher.
It's a small town. The average commute time to work is 18.4 minutes. People are connected. Within a month, associates in the places I shop regularly knew me by name and knew some of my preferences.
(Unless otherwise specified, the above information is derived from the Roswell City website, 4/1/26).
Now, my observations......
Roswellians move slowly. It's a desert town and people conserve energy without thinking. They also talk slowly and at a low volume. After moving from the Denver area, I have some trouble understanding what people are saying, especially given the way my auditory processing disorder is progressing.
Long ago (the 70s), I read papers on how the Southern drawl could be accounted for by the effects of Southern heat on people's thyroid glands. It looks as if that has been dissubstantiated (http://dialectblog.com/2011/05/31/climate-and-accent/) and I can no longer blame heat on slow talking......not directly anyway.
Everyone I have met over the last five months has been very friendly. I suspect the connectivity of the community has something to do with it. To risk a little hyperbole, everyone knows everyone else.
The desert takes something out of people so some people look chronically tired. Surprisingly, there are a substantial number of people that always seem very chipper I'm trying to maintain an upbeat personality....... it's difficult for a 72 year old heat intolerant man.
Have you had the opportunity to observe people from different regions closely? What have you noticed?
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