Rent Affordability for An Elementary School Teacher in New Mexico
A typical elementary school teacher in New Mexico earns about $60,372 a year, which supports approximately $1,509 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked New Mexico city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 8 of 17 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 9 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales, NM | $860/mo | 17.1% | very comfortable |
| Silver City, NM | $1,225/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Clovis, NM | $1,229/mo | 24.4% | affordable |
| Roswell, NM | $1,326/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Farmington, NM | $1,343/mo | 26.7% | affordable |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,434/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,475/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,480/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,528/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,550/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,623/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,726/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,969/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,006/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,692/mo | 53.5% | severely rent-burdened |