Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Los Lunas, NM?

Stretched but workable — rent takes 34.9% of gross income.

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

Los Lunas median rent
$2,025/mo
Police Officer salary (New Mexico)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
34.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Los Lunas's median rent of $2,025 exceeds that threshold by $286/mo, putting a police officer salary into the rent-burdened range here. A police officer works roughly 60.6 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 Los Lunas, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Santa Fe, NM
$1,985/mo (34.3% of income)
Santa Fe, NM
$1,969/mo (34% of income)
Santa Fe, NM
$1,958/mo (33.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Los Lunas

View full rent data for Los Lunas, NM

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Los Lunas, NM?

Median rent in Los Lunas is $2,025 a month. A typical police officer in New Mexico earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 34.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Los Lunas?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Mexico (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Los Lunas's current median rent is $2,025/mo, which is $286/mo over the affordability threshold.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in New Mexico works roughly 60.6 hours a month to cover Los Lunas's median rent of $2,025.

Where is rent cheaper than Los Lunas for a police officer?

Nearby New Mexico cities with lower median rent include Santa Fe ($1,985/mo), Santa Fe ($1,969/mo), Santa Fe ($1,958/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 Los Lunas, NM. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.