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Residential comparison · 13 facts

Rio Rancho, NM vs South Valley, 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 Rio Rancho needs about $79,500 in South Valley to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from South Valley, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Rio Rancho.

A few differences

Rio Rancho vs South Valley · facet by facet
FacetRio Rancho, NMSouth Valley, NM
Median home price$310,200$224,300
2-bedroom rent$1,316/mo$952/mo
Property tax rate0.8%0.8%
State & local income tax2.74%2.74%
Sales tax7.6%7.6%
Cost of living index9181
Groceries index9898
Utilities$145/mo$145/mo
Median household income$89,596$58,224
Unemployment rate3.9%3.9%
Crime index80/10080/100
School rating3.5/103.5/10
Sunny days / year280 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: Rio Rancho, NM · South Valley, NM
Questions & answers
Is Rio Rancho cheaper than South Valley?
South Valley has the lower day-to-day cost index (81 vs 91 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in South Valley equals $85,000 in Rio Rancho?
A household earning $85,000 in Rio Rancho needs about $79,500 in South Valley to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of South Valley lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Rio Rancho.