Housing decision brief
Doña Ana County, NM Housing Market
Doña Ana County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
25th lowest home value out of 33 New Mexico counties with data | 22nd lowest rent out of 33
Median home value
$205,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$903/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$842/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
33.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$61/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
Clean
No major county-specific caveat detected.
What Works
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $61/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
0.68% effective property-tax rate is 24% above New Mexico county median
Health context
Health score is 41.3 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Best Fit For
- Households weighing ownership against renting
Poor Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Doña Ana County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $205,400 | $160,800 | $281,900 | 28% pressure28% above New Mexico county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $903 | $810 | $1,163 | 11% pressure11% above New Mexico county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $842 | $628 | $1,672 | 34% pressure34% above New Mexico county median |
Median household income | $55,663 | $51,765 | $74,755 | 8% favorable8% above New Mexico county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.68% | 0.55% | 1.02% | 24% pressure24% above New Mexico county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 33.00% | 29.00% | N/A | 14% pressure33.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$19,543
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$19,577
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Doña Ana County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $903/month representing approximately 19.5% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 33.0%.
Rent vs own
At $903/month rent versus $842/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $61/month cheaper , a 7% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $36,120/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,086/year. With a median household income of $55,663, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 33.0% of renter households in Doña Ana County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Torrance County where rent averages $845/month, Doña Ana County is approximately 7% more expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia County, NM | $206,800 | $970/mo | Same-state comparison near $206,800 home value and $970/mo rent. |
| Lincoln County, NM | $212,200 | $883/mo | Same-state comparison near $212,200 home value and $883/mo rent. |
| San Juan County, NM | $185,100 | $917/mo | Same-state comparison near $185,100 home value and $917/mo rent. |
| Rio Arriba County, NM | $230,900 | $760/mo | Same-state comparison near $230,900 home value and $760/mo rent. |
| Curry County, NM | $160,800 | $987/mo | Same-state comparison near $160,800 home value and $987/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- No major county-specific data caveat was detected in the current housing fields.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Doña Ana County
Is Doña Ana County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Doña Ana County?
How much income do you need for housing in Doña Ana County?
What should I double-check before moving to Doña Ana County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.