Set along the New Mexico-Texas border in the Chihuahuan Desert, Anthony offers a country lifestyle about halfway between El Paso and Las Cruces. The state border divides Anthony into two sister communities: Anthony, New Mexico, became a city in 2010, while Anthony, Texas, is still finalizing its city charter. Whether Texan or New Mexican, residents here share the city’s local restaurants, parks and popular Leap Year Festival. Pecan farming is a big part of the city’s economy, and many of its 9,000 residents commute to Las Cruces or El Paso for work.
Ranch-style homes with lower taxes in New Mexico
The median home sale price in Anthony is $235,000, lower than the national median. Late 20th-century ranch-style homes and manufactured houses sit close to each other in Anthony’s city center, a grid of narrow streets surrounding the state line. “A portion of Anthony is in Texas and a portion is in New Mexico,” says Dora Camarena, a Realtor with Sandy Messer & Associates who’s sold homes here for over 33 years. “That has an impact on property taxes. Property taxes in New Mexico are about two-thirds of those in Texas.” Subdivisions with 21st-century Southwestern-style new traditional homes are more common in the north. Multi-acre properties, some of which are vacant and some that are working farms, are just outside city limits.
The Leap Year Capital of the World
Every four years, the city throws a birthday party for people born on Leap Day. The Leap Day Baby Birthday Bash kicks off the Leap Year Festival, which includes a weekend of live cumbia music, lucha libre wrestling and carnival games. The festival has steadily grown since 1988, earning the city the official designation “The Leap Year Capital of the World.”
Esports champions at Gadsden High
Kids in New Mexico attend schools in the Gadsden Independent School District, which scores a B-minus from Niche, while those in Texas attend the C-plus-rated Anthony Independent School District. At Gadsden High, which also scores a B-minus, kids can join the League of Legends esports team, which won the state championship in 2024. Doña Ana Community College’s Gadsden Center offers dual enrollment for high schoolers, general education courses and citizenship classes.
Youth baseball leagues at Adams Park
There are five parks across Anthony. Adams Park is the only one on the New Mexico side and features a playground and baseball field that hosts youth leagues. A new park and community center are planned for the site of the former Dos Lagos Golf Club, but construction hasn’t started yet.
Other recreational opportunities are just outside of the city, including the Anthony Country Club, the Vado Speedway and the over 24,000-acre Franklin Mountains State Park. Wet ‘N’ Wild Waterworld is especially popular in summer, when temperatures can top 100 degrees.
Mexican restaurants on Anthony Drive
Anthony Drive is home to most of the city’s restaurants, which highlight Mexican cuisine. “The food is very good because it’s mostly local mom-and-pop restaurants,” Camarena says. Most shopping is on the Texas side of the city, including Lowe’s Mercado, Dollar General and Walgreens. For more retail options, locals head into El Paso.
Along Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in the city’s east leads roughly 22 miles to El Paso and 27 miles to Las Cruces. South Central Regional Transit offers bus routes to both cities. With no bike lanes and inconsistent sidewalks, residents rely on their cars to get around. El Paso International Airport is about 30 miles away, and the United States-Mexico border is a 35-mile trip. The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus, the nearest hospital, is about 9 miles away. Crime data for Anthony is not readily available.
Patrick is a transplanted El Pasoan. He moved his family here because he believes that this is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States.
He has been married to his wife, Raja, for 29 great years. They have two beautiful daughters; Victoria, and Hannah.
Patrick is a Deacon, Sunday school teacher/director, and former Director of Men's Ministries at First Baptist Church of El Paso. He is an avid reader and is a student of the real estate industry. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS.
He'd be honored to assist you in your next home purchase or sale and he does property management as well.
Call Patrick today at 915-588-1850 or shoot him an email at patrick@patricktuttle.com.
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.
