Living in Albuquerque, NM

The crime statistics for Albuquerque are among the highest in the country — violent crime index of 219, which is more than double the national average, with property crime at 196. Those are real numbers that deserve real consideration. At the same time, people do live here, build lives, and feel safe — usually because they've chosen their neighborhood very carefully. If you're moving to Albuquerque, treat neighborhood research as non-negotiable. Visit in person, talk to locals, and check block-level data from the police department. FBI UCR.

By most measures, yes. The median rent of $1,085/month against a median household income of $65,604/year works out to a 19.8% rent-to-income ratio. Financial planners generally want that number under 30%, so Albuquerque clears the bar with room to spare. You'll have breathing space for savings, car payments, and the occasional splurge. Numbers from Census ACS 2023.

The average worker in Albuquerque spends about 19 minutes getting to the office. Driving solo is the default (73.2%), with 12.8% working remotely and 1.3% on public transit. It's a fairly typical commute — not a selling point, not a dealbreaker.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 29/100, which puts Albuquerque in the low-risk tier. Heat Wave, Drought, and Wildfire are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

The numbers suggest some caution. Albuquerque's graduation rate is 74.0% with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio — both below where most parents would feel comfortable. That said, there are standout public schools, active magnet programs, and charter options that families swear by. If education is a priority, you'll want to target specific schools and be willing to live in their attendance zones. Don't write off the whole city based on averages.

A bit less than you'd pay in most U.S. cities. The average monthly utility bill in Albuquerque is around $208 (covering electric, gas, water, sewer), compared to a national average of $230. That $22 monthly savings won't change your life, but it's a nice perk — especially if you're coming from a more expensive market.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 45, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Albuquerque logs 255 clean-air days annually. Ozone is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 13.6% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 7.9%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.