Rent Affordability for A Police Officer in New Mexico
A typical police officer in New Mexico earns about $69,543 a year, which supports approximately $1,739 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. 12 of 17 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 5 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales, NM | $862/mo | 14.9% | very comfortable |
| Clovis, NM | $1,206/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Farmington, NM | $1,341/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| Silver City, NM | $1,350/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Roswell, NM | $1,399/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,424/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,486/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,497/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,546/mo | 26.7% | affordable |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,568/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,598/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,857/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,932/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,025/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,645/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |