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San Juan County vs Santa Fe County

San Juan 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.

Overall livability

San Juan County

Mixed · objective livability40/100

Santa Fe County

Mixed · objective livability42/100

San Juan County and Santa Fe County score about the same overall (40 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorSan Juan CountySanta Fe County
Affordability
Median Household Income$51k$71k
Cost of Living$49k$53k
Home Value$171k$374k
Monthly Rent$894$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$1k$2k
Property Tax Rate0.69%0.51%
Income Tax5.77%5.90%
Sales Tax7.62%7.62%
Estimated total tax burden10.62%11.14%
Unemployment8.9%5.4%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)30°F31°F
Summer Temp (Jul)75°F71°F
Annual Precipitation10.1 in13.2 in
Annual Snowfall8.8 in24.1 in
Sunny Days291 days317 days
Summer Humidity44°F48°F
Comfortable Days35 days41 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk88.386.0
Air Quality46 AQI44 AQI
School Quality50.751.7
Violent Crime2559/100k1964/100k
Property Crime1427/100k3480/100k
Community
Population121,798154,481
Median Age36.847.7
Racial Diversity0.630.51
Male/Female Ratio0.980.95
Political LeaningR+29D+55
White (%)36.2%42.0%
Black (%)0.6%0.8%
Hispanic (%)21.7%50.8%
Asian (%)0.7%1.3%
Other / Multiracial (%)40.9%5.1%
Getting Around
Commute Time24 min24 min
Walkability7.7/209.4/20
Airport Distance136 mi49 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access67.3%85.7%
Amenities Nearby0.000.52
Park & Nature AccessExcellentGood

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 San Juan County or Santa Fe County more affordable?
San Juan County has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with San Juan County's $49k and Santa Fe County's $53k. Median rent is $894 in San Juan County versus $1k in Santa Fe County.
Is San Juan County or Santa Fe County safer?
Santa Fe County has the lower violent crime rate. San Juan County reports 2559/100k and Santa Fe County reports 1964/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in San Juan County or Santa Fe County?
The median home value is $171k in San Juan County and $374k in Santa Fe County, so homes are more affordable in San Juan County.
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