Fort Sumner, NM

Set along the Pecos River in eastern New Mexico, Fort Sumner is a small agricultural village and the seat of De Baca County. It is best known for its rich Old West history, housing the gravesite of Billy the Kid alongside the historic Bosque Redondo Memorial. Day-to-day life here is relaxed and community-focused, with wide-open spaces and affordable small-town living. Interestingly, the local municipal airport also hosts a NASA balloon launch facility, bringing visiting scientists to town throughout the year to send high-altitude research flights into the clear desert skies.