Housing and tax tradeoff: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico comes out ahead here on rent burden. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
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Compare Albuquerque and 2 other shortlist cities on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
AlbuquerqueEl PasoLas Vegas
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on climate comfort.
Potential dealbreaker: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | |||
| General Info | |||
| Population | 559,121 | 681,124 | 623,747 |
| Population Density | 3.0k /sq mi | 2.6k /sq mi | 4.5k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 4,957 ft(1,511 m) | 3,717 ft(1,133 m) | 2,001 ft(610 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | |||
| Median Home | $335,186 | $229,250 | $420,781 |
| Median Rent | $1,474 | $1,475 | $1,694 |
| Median Income | $61,503 | $55,710 | $66,356 |
| Rent Burden | 29% | 32% | 31% |
| Climate & Risks | |||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 353 days/yr | 354 days/yr | 356 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 71°F | 78°F | 81°F |
| Avg. Low | 47°F | 53°F | 59°F |
| Comfort Score | 53/100Mixed | 72/100Great | 45/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 48°F | 39°F | 49°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 9"(23 cm) | 8"(20 cm) | 4"(10 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 15"(38 cm) | 3"(8 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 16 days > 100 | Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 24 days > 100 | Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 44 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | |||
| Transit Score | 51 | N/A | 68 |
| Safety Score | 40 / 100 | 72 / 100 | 64 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.4/10 | 8.5/10 | 5.2/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | N/A | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 1%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 47%Cable: 94% | Fiber: 22%Cable: 96% |
| Demographics | |||
| Median Age | 38 years | 33.7 years | 38.1 years |
| College Educated | 38% | 27% | 26% |
| Remote Workers | 11% | 7% | 9% |
| Nature Access | |||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | |||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Albuquerque. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in El Paso. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Las Vegas. One featured slot per city |
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