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 | $1,008/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Roswell, NM | $1,263/mo | 46.1% | rent-burdened |
| Clovis, NM | $1,315/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Silver City, NM | $1,371/mo | 50% | severely rent-burdened |
| Las Cruces, NM | $1,439/mo | 52.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,452/mo | 53% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hobbs, NM | $1,484/mo | 54.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Farmington, NM | $1,535/mo | 56% | severely rent-burdened |
| Alamogordo, NM | $1,533/mo | 56% | severely rent-burdened |
| Artesia, NM | $1,550/mo | 56.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carlsbad, NM | $1,596/mo | 58.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Teresa, NM | $1,684/mo | 61.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ruidoso, NM | $1,700/mo | 62% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rio Rancho, NM | $1,867/mo | 68.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Santa Fe, NM | $1,956/mo | 71.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Lunas, NM | $2,040/mo | 74.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Los Alamos, NM | $2,554/mo | 93.2% | severely rent-burdened |