On the western edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe is the nation’s oldest capital and one of its premier art and dining destinations. “We’re a very small city, but for the size, there’s an incredible saturation of culture here,” says Eric Garduno, the director of the William Siegal Gallery. With a population of around 90,000, Santa Fe is home to over 250 art galleries and nearly 500 restaurants, all spread across walkable cultural centers like the Santa Fe Plaza and the Canyon Road Arts District. The combination of the city’s panoramic mountain views, buzzing cultural scene and high desert climate has made it a hot spot for established artists, second homebuyers, retirees and celebrities looking for a quiet place to settle.
Historically the home of Tewa Indian Pueblos, Santa Fe was conquered by the Spanish Empire in 1610 and again by Conquistador Diego de Vargas in 1892. The fraught history and blending of these two cultures continue to influence Santa Fe’s singular character: the pueblo-like Santa Fe style of architecture is the city’s calling card, the Fiestas de Santa Fe celebrate DeVargas’ reconquest of the city, and New Mexican fare mixes Native American and Spanish flavors to make cuisine all its own. “That’s why they call it the ‘City Different,’” says Emily Medvec, a Santa Fe local and experienced Associate Broker with EXP Realty Santa Fe. “It’s really like a dream. People love the old adobe buildings, the snowy winters, the dirt roads, even if they’re not practical because they’re like a dream of the past.”
Santa Fe is the nation’s oldest capital and one of its premier art and dining destinations.
Countless colorful shops adorn the Plaza and areas of Downtown Santa Fe.
Wooden, hand-carved doors and chile ristras adorn the exterior of many homes in Santa Fe.
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture features more than 100 historic and contemporary works in clay.
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Santa Fe Plaza, Canyon Road and the Railyard Arts District
Once an asylum for 19th-century artists combatting tuberculosis, Santa Fe now overflows with galleries, museums, performance arts centers and cultural events. Around the Santa Fe Plaza, historic sites like the Palace of the Governors — the country’s oldest public building — and the 19th-century Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis Assisi sit beside attractions like the New Mexico History Museum and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Every fall, the week-long event series Fiestas de Santa Fe fills the Plaza with dog parades, Native American art markets and live music performances. The Canyon Road Art District, immediately east of the Plaza, is home to over 100 art galleries, and on Christmas Eve, the Farolito Walk fills the street with paper lanterns. The Railyard Arts District west of the Plaza is also home to several art galleries and hosts artisans and farmers markets twice a week. Other attractions include the outdoor Santa Fe Opera in the Sangre de Cristo foothills and the collection of Native American and Spanish museums in the Museum Hill district.
The Saint Francis Cathedral is a centerpiece of Santa Fe life, culture & heritage.
Tesuque residents are just 5 miles away from the incredible Santa Fe Opera.
Hundreds of world renown galleries and shops await visitors and art lovers in Santa Fe.
A cyclist rides past the shops, galleries and the picturesque Railyard Water Tower.
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Rustic cantinas and New Mexican fine dining across Santa Fe
Santa Fe is also a hub for luxury shopping and dining. Around the Santa Fe Plaza, fashion boutiques, used bookstores and eclectic eateries sit in centuries-old adobe buildings; the Shed — the city’s most popular cantina — is set in a 19th-century hacienda and serves New Mexican food. The Railyard Arts District’s old train warehouses are home to more casual and quirky dining options, while in the Canyon Road Arts District, fine dining restaurants are scattered among area art galleries. The newer Cerrillos Road commercial corridor is lined with strip malls and shopping plazas that offer big-box stores and popular chain restaurants.
Santa Feans have loved Tomisita's and their delicious New Mexican plates for over 40 years.
A plethora of shops and galleries can be found in the historic Santa Fe Plaza.
El Nido is an iconic restaurant tucked cozily in the village of Tesuque.
Enjoy gourmet a lunch or dinner at La Plazuela located inside of the historic La Fonda Hotel.
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The Santa Fe style and high housing prices
In early 2025, Santa Fe’s median home price was $590,000, compared to a U.S. median of about $420,000. Most homes here are built in the Santa Fe architectural style, which is known for its flat roofs, rounded edges and earth-toned stucco exteriors. The 1957 Historic Preservation Zoning Ordinance mandates that all newly constructed buildings in the Historic Eastside area (about one-fourth of the city) be built in the Santa Fe style, and modifications to older properties must fall within strict architectural guidelines to preserve the city’s character.
In Santa Fe’s more historic northeastern half, century-old Santa Fe-style homes generally sit on lots that range from a quarter acre to about 2 acres; prices range between $1 million and $2.5 million, depending on lot size and how well the home's been preserved. In the city’s newer southwestern half, midcentury Santa Fe-style homes and 21st-century Spanish-style properties are set in the suburbs; homes in both styles range between $275,000 and $550,000, depending on the number of bedrooms. Detached condos called casitas are also common in Downtown Santa Fe; often built in the Santa Fe style, these one- to two-bedroom units can range from $200,000 to over $800,000, largely based on their walkability to the Santa Fe Plaza.
The Santa Fe architectural style is known for its flat roofs, rounded edges & stucco.
Large, Santa Fe-style homes can be found on large lots with views of the Sangre de Cristos.
North New Mexico style homes in Tesuque typically have pitched metal roofs and lush lots.
Beautiful, Santa Fe-style homes like this one are common throughout Santa Fe.
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Mountain ranges, desert spaces and parks all around
With the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, the Badlands to the north and windswept plains to the south, Santa Feans (pronounced "FAY-uns") have a variety of open spaces to explore. The Santa Fe National Forest spans over 1.5 million acres across the Sangre de Cristos, filled with hiking trails, mountain streams and aspen groves that turn gold in the fall. In the winter, the 87 slopes at the Ski Santa Fe Resort are usually blanketed in snow. The 87-acre Arroyo Hondo south of the city offers canyon spaces for horseback riders to explore, and Nambe Falls to the north is famous for its tiered waterfalls. Within the city, there are over 100 parks, community gardens and recreational facilities. The 90-acre SWAN Park is among the largest and most popular and hosts events throughout the year, like the Southside Community Day in the fall and the Movies in the Park series in the summer.
With the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, locals have many outdoor spaces to explore.
The Santa Fe National Forest is filled with hiking trails, mountain streams & aspen groves.
The Santa Fe Ski area is just up the road from Hyde Park for winter time fun.
Nearby, Nambe Falls carries cool water from the Sangre de Cristos down to the high desert.
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Santa Fe Public Schools and Saint John's College
Santa Fe Public Schools earns an overall grade of B-minus from Niche. A-minus-rated New Mexico School for the Arts and B-plus-rated Santa Fe High are among the top five public high schools in the Santa Fe and Los Alamos areas. At the base of Sun Mountain, the liberal arts-focused Saint John’s College is known for its Great Books curriculum.
The Santa Fe Public Schools system earns an overall grade of B-minus from Niche.
Students can attend Santa Fe High School, which received an A minus from Niche.
Wood-Gormley Elementary School provides local students a safe place to thrive.
Children can attend Tesuque Elementary School which earned a C from Niche.
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Santa Fe's planes, trains and walkable downtown
Interstate 25 leads commuters 64 miles south to Albuquerque; the Turquoise Highway offers a more scenic route through desert plains and artist colonies. U.S. Route 84 runs through the city's center and leads north to Pojoaque; from there, it's 19 miles west to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico’s top employer. State Route 599 was constructed along Santa Fe’s northern edge in the 1990s to transport nuclear waste from the laboratory without having to drive through the city’s residential areas; now, the 599 is used by laboratory employees to skip inner city traffic on their way to work.
Santa Fe also stands out for its transportation options and walkability. Built upon the now-defunct Santa Fe Railway, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express carries passengers between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The Santa Fe Regional Airport is on the city's southern edge, and the Albuquerque International Sunport is around 67 miles south. Santa Fe Trails buses make stops throughout the city, and the 10-mile Santa Fe River Trail ties nearly all inner-city communities to the Santa Fe Plaza.
Rising crime rates, wildfire concerns and water rights
According to FBI data for 2023, Santa Fe’s reported property and violent crime rates were higher than the national and statewide figures. In November 2024, the Santa Fe Police reported that the overall crime total was up 5% from the previous year. SFPD’s crime maps for 2024 indicate that most criminal activity occurs along the Cerrillos Road commercial corridor, with very few crimes reported outside this area.
Naturally occurring wildfires are common in the Santa Fe National Forest and benefit the local ecosystem; area wildfires rarely impact residents. Due to the region’s arid climate, communities across Santa Fe County can have trouble accessing water; within the city, though, residents are served by the Santa Fe Water Division and have ready access to potable water. In contrast, unincorporated communities like Agua Fria Village rely on catchment systems, wells and acequias (irrigation ditches) to maintain access to water; additionally, residents in such communities must attain water rights for their properties to use community acequias and wells.
Emily Medvec loves Santa Fe and knows Santa Fe real estate in times of both certainty and the uncertainty. Today, the real estate market is beyond different everyday and in some ways mutating like the virus changed our lives. Emily's focus is to help YOU outthink the turbulence in the Santa Fe real estate market due to the economy, volatile interest rates and recent changes in the real estate industry.
She brings to the table in this time of rapid change, a perspective grounded in experience and economic knowledge to represent Sellers with a marketing strategy and solutions tailored to their individual real estate needs to sell their home, condo, residential lots or acreage successfully. When representing you in a purchase, Emily’s focus is on saving you time and money whether you are buying your first property, relocating for employment or lifestyle change or investing in Santa Fe real estate opportunities. Emily's bottom line is your bottom line. Her goal is to provide you with the information and facts you need about properties, the market and trends so you can make informed decisions about your next move.
Emily is allied with eXp Realty LLC in Santa Fe for its both extensive local and worldwide network of over 89,000 agents in the US. She believes in giving back to the community she loves. Today, Emily chairs the Education Committee of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors. She was recently President of the northside Vista Encantada Neighborhood Association. Formerly, Emily was on the Board of Assistance Dogs of the West and the lead for their Capital Campaign.
Now she wants to hear your story, learn about your real estate needs and about your next move. Emily wants you to have all the information you need to make the best choice you and your situation, lifestyle change and real estate needs. Connect with Emily Medvec at 505-660-4541 for an update about the issues in Santa Fe regarding affordable housing, the transfer tax and changes in short term rentals. Have a conversation to learn more and explore solutions for your next move.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
