Story by Stephanie Nakhleh
Photos by Minesh Bacrania (unless otherwise noted)
Map by Amaya Coblentz
Los Alamos National Laboratory has grown its workforce by more than 50% since 2018, but the town itself hasn’t grown to match. Today, about 10,000 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employees commute into Los Alamos daily — many because they can’t find housing, despite having the wages to compete for it.
In the game of housing musical chairs, even LANL’s well-paid workforce struggles to find homes, while many teachers, nurses, police officers, and service workers are priced out entirely. The result is a cascade of consequences: skyrocketing housing costs, staffing shortages at local businesses, dangerous commuting conditions, and a deteriorating downtown.
In 2025, Los Alamos is expected to …
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