Few communities work as hard and diligently to preserve their small village character as Corrales, NM. It has a population of about 7,300 people of a variety of backgrounds. The determination displayed to defend the historic environment of Corrales has helped make it one of the most expensive towns in New Mexico in which to buy a house. Corrales real estate prices are not for the faint of heart. Housing prices begin at $164,000 and go up from there. It is not unusual to see residential properties list for $1 million or more. For example, if you're a Beatles fan, you can buy a house on Penny Lane for a mere $200,000.00. Property taxes are also high, based on the assessed value of the house.
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The sign that greets drivers on Corrales Road coming into town from the south reads, “drive slow and see our village [or] drive fast and see our judge.” This is a perfect expression of how fiercely the people of Corrales, including law enforcement personnel, protect their lifestyle. Crime is very low (less than 50 incidents in 2012 in all of Corrales). Art, music, outdoor activities, and domesticated animals of all kinds flourish in this village. The center of town is charming, rustic, and caters to pedestrians. In some respects, it feels very much like stepping back in time to the mid-nineteenth century. The only overnight accommodations for visitors are bed-and-breakfast establishments, which add to the unhurried, deliberate lack of commercialization in Corrales. The whole environment feels low-key. Rushing is not encouraged.
Corrales does not have street lights, which makes stargazing easier to do. Outdoor amenities encourage a more active lifestyle. It is possible to find walking, hiking, jogging, running, and horseback riding trails, both along the Bosque (the area near the Rio Grande), and on top of the ditch bank (acequia). The entire village is designed to slow the headlong rush to do. It encourages going at a pace that helps people relax and refresh themselves. This can take the form of taking in the scenery (both mountain and river), browsing the art galleries and shops along the main road, or not hurrying over coffee in one of the cafes.
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Corrales has a number of organizations dedicated to a specific aspect of maintaining the unique Corrales lifestyle:
Corrales has one public and two private elementary schools. There are no public schools for middle and high school students, so they travel to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, or Albuquerque public schools. Many parents choose to send their middle school- and high school-aged children to private schools.
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The people who move into Corrales are upscale professionals and executives. They tend to work throughout central New Mexico. This may include Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and locations even farther away. Some individuals also work from home, especially some of those in the wine and horse businesses. Those who find Corrales attractive to live in want a rural, slower-paced village setting; like frontier or Southwest architecture; have an upscale income; do not have any kind of problem with horses, goats, sheep, and possibly other domesticated animals living in close proximity; like living near the Rio Grande and outdoor activities; and ​are more than walking distance from shopping malls, large stores, or convenience stops.
Compared to other towns in central New Mexico, Corrales is considered by most to be a rural enclave in an increasingly urban area. The people who live and work in Corrales seem to be more than willing to pay a premium for being able to live in a quiet, country atmosphere. At the same time, they are close enough to city services that they can have the best of both worlds. For those who deal with a higher-stress work environment, a home setting that is slower-paced with beautiful mountain scenery, hiking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding trails, helps bring things back into perspective.
