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 | $975/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Roswell, NM | $1,273/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Clovis, NM | $1,272/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Farmington, NM | $1,304/mo | 25.9% | affordable |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,435/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,439/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Silver City, NM | $1,463/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,473/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,562/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,654/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,670/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,875/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,882/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,015/mo | 40.1% | rent-burdened |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,749/mo | 54.6% | severely rent-burdened |