Alamogordo is the closest major city to Holloman. It has about 32,000 people, and is in Otero County, which has a population of about 64,000 people. Other nearby small communities include La Luz (2,000), Boles Acres (2,000), and Tularosa (3,000).

It is about 11 miles from downtown Alamogordo to Holloman; this takes about 16 minutes to commute, but the route is completely dependent upon US Route 70 and any disruption on this road can strongly slow traffic. The average commute in Otero County is about 18 minutes. Of the local communities listed above Tularosa is the furthest from base, and takes about half an hour to commute.

The major local employers are local, state, and federal government agencies, including the military, and NASA, and there are many related service industries. Other employers include a 1-800-Flowers call center, a baking company, and a background check company. Recently the area has attracted some film industry investment, and a few films, including Transformers, were partially shot here.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment lease rent in the Alamogordo area ranges from $375 to $750 per month, with a median of about $450 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Alamogordo is about $101,000, compared to $161,000 for New Mexico.

Short Description of the Area: Alamogordo is a small city in southern central New Mexico, in the Tularosa Basin, bordered by the Sacramento and San Andres Mountains. The area has a relatively high number of Hispanic and Native American people, with a concentration of military-related and science professionals. Groundwater in the basin is considered very hard, and filters are suggested.

Climate and Weather: The area has a dry, warm to hot climate, with winter temperatures from the mid-50s to high 20s and summer temperatures from the high 90s to mid-60s. The area sees little rainfall year round, with the wettest months in late summer; most of the year there is less than an inch of rain per month. The area has generally clear days and nights, with occasional overcast or cloudy days. Summers are hot, up to 106, and dry, unless it happens to be raining. Rainstorms can be sudden and very heavy. Flash floods can be a danger. Winters are cool to cold, as low as below zero, and generally dry. Dust storms can be a problem. Much of the year can be very pleasant, however, and there are very rarely serious wind storms or tornadoes. The area is geologically quiet, so there are no earthquakes or volcanoes to ruin your month.

Astronomy: The clear and dark skies of the New Mexico desert leads to local astronomy clubs, including the Alamogordo Astronomy Club. Professional astronomy is fairly common here, too, with the Apache Point Observatory, Solar Observatory, and New Mexico Skies are nearby in the Sacramento Mountains, with a very large array radio astronomy a couple hours north near Socorro.

Geology: Otero County has some interesting geology, with an eroded-sculpted terrain in some of the local mountains. The famous white sands are a result of water erosion and evaporation deposition of gypsum - this is a rare deposit, as dissolved gypsum generally runs off into rivers and then to the sea, but the local basin is locked, leaving the world's largest gypsum sand field. Rock hounds may find some interesting samples. New Mexico overall has a good deal of weathered terrain and an active gem and mineral market. There are also local caves, in the Lincoln National Forest, which require permits.