Rio Rancho vs Santa Fe
Rio Rancho, 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.
Rio Rancho and Santa Fe score about the same overall (50 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Rio Rancho | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $53k |
| Home Value | $247k | $371k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.81% | 0.51% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 7.62% | 7.62% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.95% | 11.21% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.3 in | 14.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.3 in | 20.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 291 days | 319 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 46 days | 38 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 15.2 | 18.7 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 43.5 | 59.8 |
| Violent Crime | 1317/100k | 2038/100k |
| Property Crime | 1670/100k | 4889/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 104,351 | 87,617 |
| Median Age | 39.0 | 44.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+55 |
| White (%) | 45.8% | 40.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 43.4% | 53.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 7.1/20 | 12.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 18 mi | 55 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.2% | 87.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 8.62 | 58.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Rio Rancho or Santa Fe more affordable?
- Rio Rancho has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Rio Rancho's $44k and Santa Fe's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Rio Rancho versus $1k in Santa Fe.
- Is Rio Rancho or Santa Fe safer?
- Rio Rancho has the lower violent crime rate. Rio Rancho reports 1317/100k and Santa Fe reports 2038/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Rio Rancho or Santa Fe?
- The median home value is $247k in Rio Rancho and $371k in Santa Fe, so homes are more affordable in Rio Rancho.