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 | $975/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Clovis, NM | $1,272/mo | 46.4% | rent-burdened |
| Roswell, NM | $1,273/mo | 46.5% | rent-burdened |
| Farmington, NM | $1,304/mo | 47.6% | rent-burdened |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,435/mo | 52.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,439/mo | 52.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Silver City, NM | $1,463/mo | 53.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,473/mo | 53.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,562/mo | 57% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,654/mo | 60.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,670/mo | 61% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 62% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,875/mo | 68.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,882/mo | 68.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,015/mo | 73.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Artesia, NM | $2,583/mo | 94.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,749/mo | 100.3% | severely rent-burdened |