Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Alamogordo, NM?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.7% of gross income.

Alamogordo rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Mexico state estimate).

Alamogordo median rent
$1,546/mo
Police Officer salary (New Mexico)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
26.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Alamogordo's median rent of $1,546 leaves roughly $193/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 46.2 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a police officer salary

The gap between a police officer's base pay and the rent in the city they patrol is a widely tracked local affordability question. Many large-city departments now publish recruitment materials that include a local-rent comparison, because affordability has become a recruiting issue. At the national-average officer base pay, the 30% rule supports about $1,932 a month in rent. The per-city pages combine local rent with local officer-pay estimates to show where rent stays within that range.

Cheaper rent nearby

These New Mexico cities have lower median rent than Alamogordo, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Santa Teresa, NM
$1,518/mo (26.2% of income)
Santa Teresa, NM
$1,509/mo (26% of income)
Santa Teresa, NM
$1,500/mo (25.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Alamogordo

View full rent data for Alamogordo, NM

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Alamogordo, NM?

Median rent in Alamogordo is $1,546 a month. A typical police officer in New Mexico earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 26.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Alamogordo?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Mexico (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Alamogordo's current median rent is $1,546/mo, which leaves a $193/mo buffer.

How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Alamogordo?

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in New Mexico works roughly 46.2 hours a month to cover Alamogordo's median rent of $1,546.

Where is rent cheaper than Alamogordo for a police officer?

Nearby New Mexico cities with lower median rent include Santa Teresa ($1,518/mo), Santa Teresa ($1,509/mo), Santa Teresa ($1,500/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived New Mexico state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Alamogordo, NM. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.