Albuquerque vs Rio Rancho
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $291,500 in Albuquerque and $310,200 in Rio Rancho.
- Households earn more in Rio Rancho ($89,596 vs $68,317 median).
- Rio Rancho is growing faster: +9.9% since 2020 vs -1.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Albuquerque (22 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Rio Rancho, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 556,588 | 114,419 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.4% | +9.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,972 | 1,107 |
| Median age | 38.8 | 39.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $68,317 | $89,596 |
| Median home value | $291,500 | $310,200 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,145 | $1,514 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.5 | 95.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 89.2 | 89.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,700 | $71,700 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 82% |
| Top state income tax | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.68% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 29.7 |
| Work from home | 15% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 7.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 26° | 48° / 26° |
| July high / low | 91° / 67° | 91° / 67° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 9 in |
| Snowfall per year | 8 in | 8 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 64 | 64 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 93 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.4 | 77.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 25% | 25% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.2% | +2.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +44.6% | +44.6% |
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: Albuquerque: April to May and September to October. Rio Rancho: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Albuquerque weather by month and Rio Rancho weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,700 in Albuquerque and $71,700 in Rio Rancho. Moving from Albuquerque to Rio Rancho, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Albuquerque and Rio Rancho
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
Which would you pick?
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