Silver City, NM — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Mexico·Silver City

Grant County · Silver City · population 9,399

First-time buyersBargain huntersShrinkingSmall-town feel

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Declining

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Silver City stands

18% off 5-year peak. home values down 8.2% in the last year. population shrinking 0.8% per year.

Median home $224,633

1-year -8.2%

5-yr CAGR -0.6%

vs 5-yr peak -18.4%

Population -0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

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Walkability

25/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

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Public transit

10/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

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Remote work fit

40/100

Marginal for remote

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

12 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

31 · w22%

Distance from peak

25 · w18%

Population growth

33 · w16%

Home 10-yr CAGR

38 · w10%

Long thesis

Silver City has held up across the cycle: home values at $224,633 with -0.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Silver City is down 8.2% over the last 12 months and the trend isn't flattening. Falling knife rule applies: you don't catch one with your hands, you wait for it to hit the floor and stop moving.

About Silver City

Silver City is a city in Grant County, New Mexico, with an estimated population of 9,399. The population has contracted 0.8% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Silver City is $224,633 as of 2026-04, down 8.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged -0.6% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 18% below its 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 26 of 100 (Declining). The market is well off recent highs — patient long-term buyers may find opportunities, but resale liquidity is reduced.

▲ Bull case

○The data is the data: Silver City has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Prices actively falling: down 8.2% in the last 12 months — buyer sentiment has flipped. Sellers competing on price.

●18% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

●Stagnant long-run trend: +1.8% 10-year CAGR plus flat population — appreciation case is weak.

○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Make sure you're not catching a falling knife. Verify local fundamentals — jobs, population trend, school enrollment — before assuming the bottom is in. Negotiate hard and walk away from anything that doesn't pencil.

Seller

Be realistic. Below-list pricing may be required; time is not your friend. If you can wait 2-3 years for the cycle to turn, consider holding.

Investor

Cap rates can look great in Declining markets, but verify tenant pool, income stability, and exit liquidity before committing. A 10% cap on a vacant property is 0%.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Grant County right now.

NWS active alerts (NM)New Mexico Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Grant County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.