Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in New Mexico
A typical waiter or waitress in New Mexico earns about $32,877 a year, which supports approximately $822 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. 0 of 17 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 17 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales, NM | $862/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Clovis, NM | $1,206/mo | 44% | rent-burdened |
| Farmington, NM | $1,341/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Silver City, NM | $1,350/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Roswell, NM | $1,399/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,424/mo | 52% | severely rent-burdened |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,486/mo | 54.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,497/mo | 54.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,546/mo | 56.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,568/mo | 57.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,598/mo | 58.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 62% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,857/mo | 67.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,932/mo | 70.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,025/mo | 73.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 94.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,645/mo | 96.5% | severely rent-burdened |