Albuquerque vs Santa Fe
Albuquerque, New Mexico versus Santa Fe, New Mexico: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Albuquerque and Santa Fe score about the same overall (48 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Albuquerque | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $62k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $53k |
| Home Value | $246k | $371k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.02% | 0.51% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 7.62% | 7.62% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.49% | 11.21% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.4 in | 14.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 7.9 in | 20.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 291 days | 319 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 61 days | 38 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 46.9 | 18.7 |
| Air Quality | 101 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 52.5 | 59.8 |
| Violent Crime | 2617/100k | 2038/100k |
| Property Crime | 4816/100k | 4889/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 562,551 | 87,617 |
| Median Age | 38.0 | 44.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+55 |
| White (%) | 37.0% | 40.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 49.8% | 53.1% |
| Asian (%) | 2.9% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.7% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 15.2/20 | 12.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 5 mi | 55 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.9% | 87.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 11.43 | 58.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Albuquerque or Santa Fe more affordable?
- Albuquerque has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Albuquerque's $44k and Santa Fe's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Albuquerque versus $1k in Santa Fe.
- Is Albuquerque or Santa Fe safer?
- Santa Fe has the lower violent crime rate. Albuquerque reports 2617/100k and Santa Fe reports 2038/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Albuquerque or Santa Fe?
- The median home value is $246k in Albuquerque and $371k in Santa Fe, so homes are more affordable in Albuquerque.