Most affordable counties to rent in New Mexico
Ranked by how much of the typical renter household's income the typical rent takes. Los Alamos County is the most affordable at 16.0%; Lincoln County the least affordable at 43.9%.
| County | Rent-to-income | Median gross rent | Median renter income | Renters paying 30%+ | 2 BR FMR FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Los Alamos County | 16.0% | $1,375 | $103,118 | 29% | $1,874 |
| 2. Rio Arriba County | 21.6% | $740 | $41,204 | 34% | $1,014 |
| 3. Roosevelt County | 23.4% | $898 | $45,978 | 46% | $1,014 |
| 4. McKinley County | 23.9% | $859 | $43,202 | 44% | $1,140 |
| 5. Eddy County | 26.3% | $1,245 | $56,836 | 36% | $1,252 |
| 6. Otero County | 27.8% | $962 | $41,500 | 47% | $1,014 |
| 7. Sandoval County | 28.4% | $1,427 | $60,239 | 50% | $1,384 |
| 8. Luna County | 29.2% | $650 | $26,700 | 50% | $1,014 |
| 9. San Juan County | 29.8% | $956 | $38,547 | 42% | $1,116 |
| 10. Bernalillo County | 30.9% | $1,144 | $44,381 | 52% | $1,384 |
| 11. Curry County | 32.0% | $1,024 | $38,422 | 48% | $1,151 |
| 12. Grant County | 32.2% | $825 | $30,710 | 45% | $1,070 |
| 13. Chaves County | 33.0% | $867 | $31,531 | 48% | $1,091 |
| 14. Santa Fe County | 33.0% | $1,389 | $50,506 | 51% | $1,735 |
| 15. Valencia County | 33.9% | $1,015 | $35,935 | 56% | $1,384 |
| 16. Dona Ana County | 34.3% | $934 | $32,698 | 54% | $1,073 |
| 17. Lea County | 35.2% | $1,101 | $37,522 | 48% | $1,327 |
| 18. Taos County | 36.5% | $1,034 | $34,041 | 57% | $1,292 |
| 19. Lincoln County | 43.9% | $956 | $26,113 | 52% | $1,063 |
Rent-to-income = median gross rent × 12 ÷ median household income of renters. Both are medians of different households, so this is an area comparison, not the burden of any one household. 14 of 33 counties are left out because they have fewer than 500 renter households, a Census margin of error is too large (coefficient of variation above 15%) or a figure is not published.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. FMR: HUD FY2027.
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