Can A Truck Driver Afford Rent in Santa Fe, NM?

Rent-burdened — rent takes 45.4% of gross income.

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

Santa Fe median rent
$1,932/mo
Truck Driver salary (New Mexico)
$51,039/yr
Rent as % of income
45.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $4,253, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,276/mo in rent. Santa Fe's median rent of $1,932 exceeds that threshold by $656/mo, putting a truck driver salary into the rent-burdened range here. A truck driver works roughly 78.7 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a truck driver salary

Truck driver pay covers comfortable rent in most lower- and mid-cost US metros and stretches thin in the highest-cost ones. Because many drivers can base anywhere along their route, the home-city rent decision has an outsized effect on take-home. At the national-average driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,418 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range and which push it out of reach.

Cheaper rent nearby

These New Mexico cities have lower median rent than Santa Fe, which improves the affordability math on a truck driver salary:

Los Lunas, NM
$1,928/mo (45.3% of income)
Rio Rancho, NM
$1,902/mo (44.7% of income)
Rio Rancho, NM
$1,895/mo (44.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Santa Fe

View full rent data for Santa Fe, NM

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck driver afford rent in Santa Fe, NM?

Median rent in Santa Fe is $1,932 a month. A typical truck driver in New Mexico earns about $51,039 a year, which makes that rent 45.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a truck driver afford in Santa Fe?

Using the 30% rule, a truck driver salary in New Mexico (~$51,039/yr) supports up to $1,276 a month in rent. Santa Fe's current median rent is $1,932/mo, which is $656/mo over the affordability threshold.

How many hours does a truck driver work to cover rent in Santa Fe?

At an hourly equivalent of about $25 an hour, a truck driver in New Mexico works roughly 78.7 hours a month to cover Santa Fe's median rent of $1,932.

Where is rent cheaper than Santa Fe for a truck driver?

Nearby New Mexico cities with lower median rent include Los Lunas ($1,928/mo), Rio Rancho ($1,902/mo), Rio Rancho ($1,895/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a truck driver salary.

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