City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Albuquerque, NM

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Albuquerque — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

562,488
Residents
$65,604
Median income
$266,700
Median home
$1,129
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque is a city in New Mexico with a population of 562,488 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $65,604 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 11.8%. Typical homes in Albuquerque are valued around $266,700, and the median resident age is 38.7 years. About 38.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,099 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 5810.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 57.9°F with 8.8 inches of precipitation per year and 7.9 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New Mexico registers 92.2 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,129 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $167 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Albuquerque report an average commute of 19.4 minutes, with 73.2% driving alone and 12.8% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 58.9 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

562,488 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New Mexico

Median Household Income

$65,604 /yr

Poverty 11.8%

Cost of Living Index

92.2 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Albuquerque compare to other US cities?

Where Albuquerque sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 44% higher than other cities
Home value 59% pricier than other cities
Median rent 39% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Albuquerque against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Albuquerque, NM Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Albuquerque, NM. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Albuquerque, NM — median $65,604/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Albuquerque, NM — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.8%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.4%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
562,488
Median Income
$65,604
Median Home Value
$266,700
Median Age
38.7
Poverty Rate
11.8%
Labor force participation
60.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
5810.6
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
1181.8
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
4628.8
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.9°F
Annual Precipitation
8.8"
Annual Snowfall
7.9"

Schools

Total Schools
195
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
1,099
housing units authorized
Single-Family
525
detached homes
Multifamily
574
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1,094
2020 865
2021 1,667
2022 1,609
2023 1,099
2024 1,099

Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.4 minutes
Drive Alone
73.2%
Carpool
8.8%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
12.8%
Other
2.0%

Based on 276,033 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Mexico — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$40
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$167
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Mexico state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

New Mexico state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,129/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
58.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Albuquerque, NM Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Albuquerque, NM — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Albuquerque compares to nearby New Mexico cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Albuquerque) plus the nearest peer cities in New Mexico, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NM

Albuquerque

65.60% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$65,604
Brackets
562
Selected

NM

Las Cruces

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,260
Brackets
113
Selected

NM

Rio Rancho

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$10,650
Brackets
107
Selected

NM

Santa Fe

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,820
Brackets
88
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Albuquerque, NM?

What is the population of Albuquerque, NM? +

Albuquerque, NM has a population of 562,488 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Albuquerque, NM? +

The median household income in Albuquerque is $65,604 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Albuquerque? +

Albuquerque has a cost of living index of 92.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Albuquerque, NM safe? +

Albuquerque has a total crime rate of 5810.6 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Albuquerque, NM? +

The median home value in Albuquerque is $266,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Albuquerque? +

Albuquerque has an average annual temperature of 57.9°F, 8.8 inches of precipitation, and 7.9 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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