I would like to know if there is a good town in New Mexico to move with jobs and a good education?

Angelfire is near Taos and close to the Colorado border. It boasts beautiful forests and olympic class skiing in winter, but, no culture. Lots of wilderness, incredibly beautiful area.
Santa Fe would be the nearest cultural hub but, it’s a small community itself and more on the artsy, metaphysical side of things.

Albuquerque is the biggest city and would offer what you’re seeking, has the largest state U, but, the landscape is not particularily attractive. The Sandia mountains are visible but it is an arid landscape. I love N.M. lived in Santa Fe, was born in Albuquerque, my dad was an architect for the Bureau of Indian affairs, but I need more greenery and live in California. :-)

I don’t know where you were in Washington State, but you are wrong about there being no middle class there. Western Washington has more of an emphasis on culture.

New Mexico is a good choice for jobs. The unemployment picture there is at 6.5 % compared to the national average of over 8. Here is some additional; data.

I passed through Santa Fe once, and thought it would be a pretty cool place to live. It’s beautiful and the people are very creative and artistic, and only somewhat conservative (probably liberal for the state). It is a swing state, though, so it may be trending liberal.

It’s the state capital, so there are probably a bunch of jobs in state government, and GIS is a field that is expanding, so you could probably get a job in it. Anyway, if I were moving to New Mexico, that’s where I would start. Here’s a short listing of jobs from a search using the terms GIS and New Mexico.

Santa Fe gets my vote also. There is a first-rate independent, fully accredited 7 – 12 day school called Santa Fe Prep

“At Prep, our two highest commitments are to academic excellence and active citizenship. Our discussion-based learning encourages and stimulates an engaging exchange of knowledge and perspectives and the cultivation of skills and attitudes necessary for success in selective colleges and universities across the country and in life. Students participate fully in the life of the school as well as decisions that affect how we live and learn together.

Prep is a culturally vibrant and diverse community of students and educators who understand that learning takes place not just in the classroom but also in the richness of interaction, in the expansion of individual boundaries, and in the exploration and introduction of new interests, ideas and abilities.”

There is also the wonderful St. John’s College a progressive small college that offers a famous “Great Books” curriculum. This sort of community enriches the greater community.

I can’t help you with info about public school education. If you can further your career there, it is really nice place to live. Art comes out of the woodwork, skiing is available with only a short drive and there is enough SW Indian culture to keep you busy for decades.

Even the gas stations look like adobe haciendas. Even the ice cream tastes like chili. There is a cultural anthropologist on every corner, it seems.

PS. Great birding.