Can A Firefighter Afford Rent in Portales, NM?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 18.3% of gross income.
Portales rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Mexico state estimate).
About rent and a firefighter salary
Firefighter base pay plus typical overtime sits modestly above the US median household income, but local rent levels determine whether that translates into affordability or rent burden. At the national-average firefighter base salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,570 a month in rent. The per-city pages compare local rent against local firefighter-pay estimates so renters can see where rent stays in range.
Compare with full rent data for Portales
View full rent data for Portales, NM →Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford rent in Portales, NM?
Median rent in Portales is $862 a month. A typical firefighter in New Mexico earns about $56,529 a year, which makes that rent 18.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a firefighter afford in Portales?
Using the 30% rule, a firefighter salary in New Mexico (~$56,529/yr) supports up to $1,413 a month in rent. Portales's current median rent is $862/mo, which leaves a $551/mo buffer.
How many hours does a firefighter work to cover rent in Portales?
At an hourly equivalent of about $27 an hour, a firefighter in New Mexico works roughly 31.7 hours a month to cover Portales's median rent of $862.