Abilene vs Las Cruces
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $183,700 in Abilene and $231,700 in Las Cruces.
- Households earn more in Abilene ($62,648 vs $55,422 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Abilene (16 vs 19 minutes each way).
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; New Mexico's top rate is 5.9%.
Side by side
| Abilene, TX | Las Cruces, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 131,588 | 116,978 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.3% | +5% |
| People per square mile | 1,234 | 1,521 |
| Median age | 32.8 | 33.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $62,648 | $55,422 |
| Median home value | $183,700 | $231,700 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,157 | $974 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.4 | 90.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.8 | 63.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,800 | $67,700 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | None | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 15.6 | 18.9 |
| Work from home | 8% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3% | 7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 22.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 34° | 59° / 30° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 96° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 25 in | 9 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 102 | 109 |
| Nights below freezing | 48 | 69 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 83.8 | 96.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 27% |
| Home prices, past year | +9% | -0.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46.3% | +41.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Abilene: March to April and October to November. Las Cruces: April and October.
Full monthly tables: Abilene weather by month and Las Cruces weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,800 in Abilene and $67,700 in Las Cruces. Moving from Abilene to Las Cruces, you would need about $74,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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