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 | $975/mo | 16.8% | very comfortable |
| Clovis, NM | $1,272/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Roswell, NM | $1,273/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Farmington, NM | $1,304/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,435/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,439/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Silver City, NM | $1,463/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,473/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,562/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,654/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,670/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,875/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,882/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,015/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,749/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |