Farmington vs Rio Rancho
Farmington, New Mexico versus Rio Rancho, New Mexico: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Farmington and Rio Rancho score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Farmington | Rio Rancho |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $61k | $79k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $44k |
| Home Value | $219k | $247k |
| Monthly Rent | $980 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.62% | 0.81% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 7.62% | 7.62% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.62% | 10.95% |
| Unemployment | 7.7% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 31°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 7.8 in | 10.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 8.6 in | 9.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 291 days | 291 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 31 days | 46 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 43.3 | 15.2 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 37.1 | 43.5 |
| Violent Crime | 3661/100k | 1317/100k |
| Property Crime | 2396/100k | 1670/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 46,457 | 104,351 |
| Median Age | 35.7 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.62 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | R+29 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 42.0% | 45.8% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 25.8% | 43.4% |
| Asian (%) | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 30.4% | 6.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.2/20 | 7.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 148 mi | 18 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 79.2% | 93.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 27.55 | 8.62 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Farmington or Rio Rancho more affordable?
- Rio Rancho has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Farmington's $49k and Rio Rancho's $44k. Median rent is $980 in Farmington versus $1k in Rio Rancho.
- Is Farmington or Rio Rancho safer?
- Rio Rancho has the lower violent crime rate. Farmington reports 3661/100k and Rio Rancho reports 1317/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Farmington or Rio Rancho?
- The median home value is $219k in Farmington and $247k in Rio Rancho, so homes are more affordable in Farmington.