New Mexico · Federal data hub

Santa Fe, NM

0.154M people1 counties#3 of 4 in New Mexico$74,689 median HHIUpdated April 10, 2026

Investor first look

The numbers that matter most

What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.

expensive

Price to income

5.58×

The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.

vs New Mexico: 3.78×+1.80
vs U.S.: 3.43×+2.15

Benchmark

5.58×

▼

affordable

moderate

expensive

0×–3×

3×–5×

5×–7×

ACS median home value ÷ median HHI

moderate

Rent to income

27.1%

What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.

vs New Mexico: 25.2%+1.9
vs U.S.: 23.3%+3.8

Benchmark

27.1%

▼

comfortable

moderate

burdened

15%–25%

25%–30%

30%–40%

(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI

tight

Cap rate proxy

3.15%

Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.

vs New Mexico: 4.15%-0.99
vs U.S.: 4.35%-1.19

Benchmark

3.15%

▼

tight

deal-by-deal

solid

1%–3%

3%–5%

5%–7%

(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value

steady

Net migration

+0.04%

Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.

vs New Mexico: 0.10%-0.06
vs U.S.: 0.03%+0.01

Benchmark

+0.04%

▼

shrinking

steady

growing

-1%–-0.1%

-0.1%–+0.1%

+0.1%–+1%

IRS net migration ÷ population

normal

Permit pipeline

3.50

permits per 1,000 residents

Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.

vs New Mexico: 3.31+0.19
vs U.S.: 3.52-0.02

Benchmark

3.50

▼

tight

moderate

strong

0–2

2–5

5–10

Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000

healthy

Unemployment

3.6%

Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.

vs New Mexico: 4.3%-0.7
vs U.S.: 3.9%-0.3

Benchmark

3.6%

▼

healthy

normal

loose

2%–4%

4%–5.5%

5.5%–8%

BLS LAUS, latest month

Home values

Where prices are and where they've been

5-year price appreciation

+52.6%

homeValues.yearOverYear

+5.1%

Median home value

$416,900

Rents

The rent ladder

Bedroom	Monthly	Annual	% of median HHI
1 BR	$1,390	$16,680	22.3%
2 BR	$1,685	$20,220	27.1%
3 BR	$2,122	$25,464	34.1%

Jobs & income

Labor market direction

Unemployment

3.6%

Median household income

$74,689

Supply pipeline

What's being built

Total TTM

541

+116.4% YoY

Single-family

246

2–4 unit

5+ unit

295

Counties

All 1 counties, ranked by population

County	Population	Home value	Median HHI	Permits TTM	YoY
Santa Fe County	154,481	$416,900	$74,689	541	+116.4%

Peer metros

Similar metros nationally

Metro	Pop	Med HHI	P/I	Cap proxy	HPI 5y	Permits/1k	Unemp
★Santa Fe	154,481	$74,689	5.58×	3.15%	+52.6%	3.50	3.6%
Monroe, MI	154,823	$75,272	—	—	+44.1%	—	4.6%
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA	156,084	$74,946	—	—	+51.2%	—	3.1%
State College, PA	158,665	$72,748	—	—	+37.3%	—	2.7%
Jefferson City, MO	150,182	$72,425	—	—	+64.7%	—	2.5%
Idaho Falls, ID	158,478	$77,300	—	—	+50.2%	—	3.0%

Migration

Where people are moving in from

Net migration

+65

+0.04% of population

Origin county	Tax returns
Bernalillo County, NM	617
Rio Arriba County, NM	207
Los Angeles County, CA	159
Sandoval County, NM	154
Los Alamos County, NM	127
Travis County, TX	95

Demographic backbone

Who lives in Santa Fe

Median age: 49
Bachelor's+: 44.2%
Owner-occupancy: 70.6%
Vacancy rate: 10.7%
Rent burdened (30%+): 43.8%
Median household income: $74,689

This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.