Rio Rancho vs Santa Fe
The short version
- Rio Rancho is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Santa Fe area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $310,200 in Rio Rancho and $444,900 in Santa Fe.
- Households earn more in Rio Rancho ($89,596 vs $73,482 median).
- Rio Rancho has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 43°F.
- Santa Fe gets far more snow: 20 inches a year vs 8.
- Rio Rancho has more scorching days: 64 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 24.
- Rio Rancho is growing faster: +9.9% since 2020 vs +2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Santa Fe (21 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Rio Rancho, NM | Santa Fe, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 114,419 | 89,837 |
| Growth since 2020 | +9.9% | +2.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,107 | 1,720 |
| Median age | 39.5 | 46.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 48% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $89,596 | $73,482 |
| Median home value | $310,200 | $444,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 6.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,514 | $1,463 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.5 | 98.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 89.2 | 108.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,700 | $74,100 |
| Homeowners | 82% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.68% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 29.7 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 16% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.6% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 12.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 26° | 43° / 18° |
| July high / low | 91° / 67° | 86° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 8 in | 20 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 64 | 24 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 168 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 77.0 | 86.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 25% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.2% | +4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +44.6% | +42% |
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: Rio Rancho: April to May and September to October. Santa Fe: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Rio Rancho weather by month and Santa Fe 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 Rio Rancho and $74,100 in Santa Fe. Moving from Rio Rancho to Santa Fe, you would need about $77,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Rio Rancho and Santa Fe
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Rio Rancho and Santa Fe.
Which would you pick?
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