City profile · New Mexico · Census ACS 2023

Rio Rancho, NM

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

106,533
Residents
$85,755
Median income
$273,300
Median home
$1,464
Median rent (state)

Rio Rancho - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Rio Rancho lands in the 67th percentile for household income and the 41st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

67th
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
41st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Rio Rancho, NM

New Mexico's Rio Rancho is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 106,533 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Rio Rancho brings in $85,755 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.0%. Home values in Rio Rancho run a median of $273,300, and the median resident age is 39.0 years. 33.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,252 residential building permits were authorized in Rio Rancho (Building Boom), up 124% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Rio Rancho reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1657.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in New Mexico run below the national norm: the state registers 92.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,464 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $167 across New Mexico, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 25.8 minutes, with 74.5% driving alone and 13.8% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 94.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

106,533 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Mexico

Median Household Income

$85,755 /yr

Poverty 6.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Mexico average

How does Rio Rancho compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 67% higher than other cities
Home value 60% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
Safety 41% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at New Mexico, Rio Rancho ranks #19 of 42 New Mexico cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Rio Rancho's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New Mexico, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

67thIncome percentile
41stSafety percentile

67th percentile nationally for median household income · 41st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Rio Rancho's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Rio Rancho's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 50 Avg. percentile National median
Rio Rancho's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Rio Rancho's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$273,300 40th percentile more affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Rio Rancho $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Rio Rancho, NM Rio Rancho, NM's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Rio Rancho, NM-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Rio Rancho, NM median $85,755/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Rio Rancho, NM's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Rio Rancho, NM. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.7%

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

Population
106,533
Median Income
$85,755
Median Home Value
$273,300
Median Age
39.0
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Labor force participation
58.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1657.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
318.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1339.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
23
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
100,000 residents105,000 residents110,000 residents115,000 residents120,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 104,451 residents 114,419 residents ▲ +9.5%
Rio Rancho's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,252
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,014
detached homes
Multifamily
238
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 560
2020 621
2021 1,538
2022 753
2023 1,255
2024 1,252

Permit volume increased 124% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
25.8 minutes
Drive Alone
74.5%
Carpool
8.2%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
13.8%
Other
2.0%

Based on 49,489 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

Cost of living is a New Mexico state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Rio Rancho sits in

Cost of Living Index
92.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,464/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
94.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Mexico

Las Cruces
112,612 people
Santa Fe
88,224 people
Roswell
47,823 people
Farmington
46,339 people
Hobbs
39,887 people
Clovis
38,153 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rio Rancho's 106,533 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Concord, NC
106,518 people
Green Bay, WI
106,585 people
Davie, FL
106,412 people
Nampa, ID
106,289 people
Boulder, CO
106,274 people
Jurupa Valley, CA
106,244 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rio Rancho's $85,755 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Windsor, NY
$85,755 median income
Wainwright, AK
$85,750 median income
Rising Sun, MD
$85,750 median income
Conesus Lake, NY
$85,761 median income
Lake Stickney, WA
$85,762 median income
Kill Devil Hills, NC
$85,747 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Rio Rancho, 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 Rio Rancho, NM - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 61.7% 8.3% 20.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 42.1% White 61.7% Black or African American 2.9% Asian 2.0% American Indian 4.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 8.3% Two or more races 20.7% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Rio Rancho compares to nearby New Mexico cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Rio Rancho (this city) 106,533 $85,755
Las Cruces 112,612 $55,176
Santa Fe 88,224 $70,110
Roswell 47,823 $50,294
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NM FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Rio Rancho, NM?

What is the population of Rio Rancho, NM? +

Rio Rancho, NM counts 106,533 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Rio Rancho, NM? +

Rio Rancho households earn a median of $85,755 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rio Rancho? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Rio Rancho; the closest available measure is the New Mexico state average, a cost of living index of 92.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Mexico vary by metro area.

Is Rio Rancho, NM safe? +

Rio Rancho has a total crime rate of 1657.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Rio Rancho, NM? +

Rio Rancho's median home value sits at $273,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.