Rent Affordability for A Firefighter in New Mexico
A typical firefighter in New Mexico earns about $56,529 a year, which supports approximately $1,413 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. 5 of 17 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 12 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales, NM | $862/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Clovis, NM | $1,206/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Farmington, NM | $1,341/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Silver City, NM | $1,350/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Roswell, NM | $1,399/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,424/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,486/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,497/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,546/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,568/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,598/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,857/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,932/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,025/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 54.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,645/mo | 56.1% | severely rent-burdened |