New Mexico DATA SCOREBOARD

New Mexico's rate of serious crimes against people — assault, robbery, rape, murder — per 100,000 residents is nearly double the neighboring average. This is the number behind the uneasy feeling in the parking lot.

The number of killings in the state, based on official reports, are more than double the average of surrounding states.

Killings counted according to death certificates, which catch cases not included in police reports, show the same story, just slightly worse.

For attacks that put someone in the hospital — the most common serious violent crime and the biggest driver of the violent-crime number above - New Mexico's rate is more than twice that of our neighbors.

Gun deaths of every kind in New Mexico — suicides, homicides, accidents — per 100,000 people are about two-thirds higher than the neighbors'.

Break-ins, theft and stolen property per 100,000 people rank about 40% above the neighbors. It shows up in insurance premiums and repair bills, even for families never directly hit.

Stolen cars and trucks per 100,000 residents number nearly 80% above the surrounding average. Every driver in the state pays for it through auto insurance.

Overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, driven mostly by fentanyl and meth abuse. New Mexico's rate runs roughly 50% above the neighboring average and results in an empty chair at family tables across the state.

How many people in New Mexico are homeless? Each January, communities across the country count everyone staying in shelters or living outdoors on a single night. New Mexico's rate per 10,000 residents is higher than the average for neighboring states and about the same as the national rate. Homelessness strains neighborhoods and public services, and above all it harms the people who experience it. Homelessness severely burdens the wider population by straining public health care systems, draining municipal tax budgets, impacting the vitality of local businesses, and creating public safety challenges.

New Mexico loses people to vehicle crashes at roughly one-and-a-half times the neighboring rate. It's a risk everyone takes on every drive for themselves and their passengers.

New Mexico's rate of pedestrians killed by vehicles is roughly double that of neighboring states. By the federal count, we are the deadliest state in America for walkers.