Bernalillo County vs Santa Fe County
Bernalillo County, New Mexico versus Santa Fe County, New Mexico: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Bernalillo County and Santa Fe County score about the same overall (45 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bernalillo County | Santa Fe County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $62k | $71k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $53k |
| Home Value | $247k | $374k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.99% | 0.51% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 7.62% | 7.62% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.37% | 11.14% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 35°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.9 in | 13.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 11.2 in | 24.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 294 days | 317 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 55 days | 41 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.4 | 86.0 |
| Air Quality | 59 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 52.1 | 51.7 |
| Violent Crime | 2629/100k | 1964/100k |
| Property Crime | 4443/100k | 3480/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 674,692 | 154,481 |
| Median Age | 38.6 | 47.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+55 |
| White (%) | 36.7% | 42.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.4% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 50.7% | 50.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.6% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 12.0/20 | 9.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 4 mi | 49 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.5% | 85.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 7.19 | 0.52 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bernalillo County or Santa Fe County more affordable?
- Bernalillo County has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Bernalillo County's $44k and Santa Fe County's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Bernalillo County versus $1k in Santa Fe County.
- Is Bernalillo County or Santa Fe County safer?
- Santa Fe County has the lower violent crime rate. Bernalillo County reports 2629/100k and Santa Fe County reports 1964/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bernalillo County or Santa Fe County?
- The median home value is $247k in Bernalillo County and $374k in Santa Fe County, so homes are more affordable in Bernalillo County.