?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Albuquerque, NM vs Rio Rancho, NM

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Albuquerque needs about $84,500 in Rio Rancho to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Rio Rancho, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Albuquerque.

A few differences

Albuquerque vs Rio Rancho · facet by facet
FacetAlbuquerque, NMRio Rancho, NM
Median home price$330,000$310,200
2-bedroom rent$1,400/mo$1,316/mo
Property tax rate1%0.8%
State & local income tax2.74%2.74%
Sales tax7.75%7.6%
Cost of living index9291
Groceries index9798
Utilities$150/mo$145/mo
Median household income$62,000$89,596
Unemployment rate4%3.9%
Crime index60/10080/100
School rating5.0/103.5/10
Sunny days / year278 days280 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Albuquerque, NM · Rio Rancho, NM
Questions & answers
Is Albuquerque cheaper than Rio Rancho?
Rio Rancho has the lower day-to-day cost index (91 vs 92 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Rio Rancho equals $85,000 in Albuquerque?
A household earning $85,000 in Albuquerque needs about $84,500 in Rio Rancho to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Rio Rancho lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Albuquerque.