We visited Alamogordo and Cloudcroft yesterday–just as potential alternates if we decide that Silver City is not the place to be. They would likely be a winter/summer combination. The former is about 4,300 feet; the latter close to 9,000. So you can guess the difference in weather. That’s part of the methodology we think makes sense for picking a place to live–when it is entirely your choice. Consider the weather and climate generally. Consider the feel  to you, that intangible sense of place that you get from just being there. Cloudcroft has some great views and land is cheap in Alamorgordo, but the combination doesn’t seem a good bet for us. If you are in the position of looking for places to live, you have to make your own decision of what matters to you and then assess what locales meet those concerns.