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Rent Affordability Calculator for Albuquerque, NM
Local data pre-filled
Median rent in Albuquerque, NM is $1,489/month. With a median household income of $67,995, rent consumes about 26.3% of gross income — within the recommended 30% guideline. Use this calculator to find your personal rent comfort zone in Albuquerque.
✓ Calculator below is pre-filled with Albuquerque local data
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
New Mexico Financial Snapshot (2026) — Rent Affordability Calculator
Home value, monthly carrying cost, property tax, and insurance are the four levers for the rent affordability calculator in New Mexico.
How the Rent Affordability Calculator Math Works Under New Mexico Law
Every real-estate number on this page runs through the same core identity: the monthly principal-and-interest payment on a fully amortizing fixed-rate loan is M = P · r / (1 − (1+r)^(−n)), where P is the loan principal, r is the monthly rate (annual rate / 12), and n is the term in months. For a typical New Mexico buyer in 2026, P starts from an $305,000 median home value (Zillow ZHVI)[1], minus a standard 20% down payment.
On top of P&I the calculator adds the two New Mexico-specific carrying costs: property tax at the state effective rate of 0.80%[2] and homeowners insurance at roughly $1,100/year (NAIC state average)[3]. The Freddie Mac PMMS national average 30-year fixed rate (6.30% (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of ))[4] drives the payment curve — New Mexico rate quotes can move a few basis points around that number depending on lender, loan size, and credit band.
Local context: Albuquerque, NM
Housing economics in Albuquerque, NM. The median home value runs 2.6% below the U.S. baseline for Albuquerque, NM is $348,860 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $1,489 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 0.78% of assessed value, below the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. New Mexico's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 4.90% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Albuquerque, NM at 93.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Albuquerque, NM buys 108¢ — more goods and services than the same dollar nationally.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Albuquerque versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Albuquerque, NM | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $348,860 | $358,000 | -2.6% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $1,489 | $1,850 | -19.5% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 0.78% | 0.99% | -21.2% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | 4.90% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 0.8 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 93.0 | 100.0 | -7.0 pts |
How to use the Rent Affordability Calculator
Walk through using the Rent Affordability Calculator with Albuquerque, NM-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Albuquerque numbersFill in the rent affordability inputs. Defaults reflect Albuquerque, NM 2026: median home $348,860, median rent $1,489/mo, 0.78% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Albuquerque is $348,860 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $1,489/mo.
- Compare against Albuquerque contextMonthly PITI on the $348,860 median home in Albuquerque is ~$2,283/mo — vs a $1,489/mo median rent.
How New Mexico Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico (this page) | $305,000 | 5.90% | 0.80% | 91.0 |
| check Arizona | $430,000 | 2.50% | 0.66% | 100.7 |
| Colorado equivalent | $560,000 | 4.40% | 0.51% | 101.9 |
| compare to Oklahoma | $205,000 | 4.75% | 0.90% | 88.7 |
| Texas side-by-side | $295,000 | None | 1.80% | 97.1 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in New Mexico
- Down payment size:New Mexico's typical down payment is 9.0%according to NAR survey data. Every 5% shift changes the monthly P&I by roughly 5–6% of the headline payment.
- First-time buyer programs:New Mexico runs state-level first-time buyer programs (DPA, MCC) that can cut effective down payment costs by $5,000–$15,000 for qualifying buyers. See programs block below.
- County-level property tax variance:The state effective rate shown in the snapshot is a statewide weighted average. Within New Mexico, county rates can swing ±30% around the median, especially in border counties with differing school-district mill levies.
Related Calculations for New Mexico
- New Mexico rent vs buy rates — rent affordability on the rent side.
- New Mexico cost of living comparison numbers for 2026 — rent is the biggest COL line.
How Albuquerque Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Albuquerque stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Albuquerque, NM | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $348,860 | $420,800 | -17.1% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,489 | $1,713 | -13.1% |
| Median Household Income | $67,995 | $74,580 | -8.8% |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 1.10% | -29.1% |
| Cost of Living Index | 93 | 100 | -7.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Albuquerque Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 920,000
- Unemployment
- 4.7%
- Avg Commute
- 22 min
- Median Age
- 36.6
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 19.5x
- Annual Property Tax
- $2,721
More Financial Calculators for Albuquerque, NM
Rent Affordability Calculator in Other New Mexico Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Albuquerque
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Albuquerque?
- With a ~$2,283 monthly PITI and $67,995 median income, housing would consume ~40.3% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$97,843 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Albuquerque?
- Albuquerque's price-to-rent ratio (19.5x) is roughly neutral — in the 15-20x range the decision depends on time horizon and wealth goals.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Albuquerque?
- Approximately $2,721/yr at the 0.78% effective rate on the $348,860 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Albuquerque?
- The $1,489/mo median rent represents 26.3% of the $67,995 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Albuquerque falls within that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Albuquerque?
- Average commute time in Albuquerque is 22 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $2,900. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Albuquerque compare to the national average?
- Albuquerque's BEA RPP index is 93, 7% below the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$5,428/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Albuquerque, NM?
- The median home price in Albuquerque is $348,860 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Albuquerque?
- The median monthly rent in Albuquerque, NM is $1,489.
- Does the rent affordability replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Albuquerque data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
How we compute this — methodology
The Albuquerque page uses local median home price ($348,860), median rent ($1,489/mo), and property tax rate (0.78%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Albuquerque can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] with the URL and the correct figure.
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National reference: Rent Affordability Calculator Calculator