Jobs, pay and daily life in Española, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Española is a city in New Mexico with 10,473 residents. The median household earns $47,667 a year and the median rent is $829 a month, which is 20.9% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Santa Fe, NM (61,770 jobs), about 24 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Española compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Española is #22 by population, #39 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #10 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #28 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Rio Arriba County, is #15 of 33 counties for average pay ($48,908).
Española has 10,473 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,274 people per square mile. The median age is 35.7, 9% younger than the state median (35.7 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $829 a month (rent plus utilities), 22% below the state median ($829 against $1,067). Over a year that is 20.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $210,800, which is 4.4 times the median household income ($47,667). 65.2% of households own their home, 7% below the state average (65.2% against 70.0%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Santa Fe, NM, metropolitan area has 61,770 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,710 a year, 4% below the national median ($48,710 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (8,610 jobs, median $47,460); food preparation and serving related (8,280 jobs, median $36,160); sales and related (5,540 jobs, median $36,880). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.5 times) and office and administrative support (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($47,460) and sales and related ($36,880). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Rio Arriba County was 4.8%. 56.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Rio Arriba County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 86.0% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 0.8% walk, 5.8% work from home. 28.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 122% above the state average (28.4% against 12.8%).
18.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41% below the state share (18.3% against 31.0%). 14.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 50% above the state share (14.2% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 20.4%, 14% above the state rate (20.4% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 70°F (20.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.1°C). About 385 mm (15 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (64 mm) and Jun the driest (19 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Los Alamos (14 miles, rent 64% higher); Santa Fe (24 miles, rent 76% higher); Taos (38 miles, rent 7% higher); Bernalillo (55 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Española; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (863) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideRio Arriba CountyNew Mexico rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 863 federal postings open in New Mexico (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New Mexico →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,410 | 3.55 | $50,170 | $36,820 | $75,940 | +6% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,320 | 1.50 | $35,960 | $30,080 | $51,530 | +2% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,950 | 1.27 | $30,810 | $29,650 | $39,520 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,680 | 1.87 | $46,640 | $28,900 | $78,210 | +32% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,630 | 1.17 | $106,770 | $55,440 | $199,990 | +1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,470 | 0.86 | $31,540 | $26,730 | $40,660 | -12% |
| Cashiers | 1,350 | 1.10 | $34,900 | $29,820 | $43,470 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,180 | 1.05 | $36,200 | $31,040 | $46,230 | -3% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,100 | 1.96 | $37,250 | $30,580 | $45,720 | -0% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,090 | 0.81 | $100,790 | $74,300 | $131,830 | +3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 890 | 0.91 | $36,130 | $27,750 | $51,900 | -20% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 850 | 1.97 | $67,560 | $49,570 | $114,720 | -19% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 830 | 0.80 | $41,000 | $31,200 | $59,950 | -8% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 800 | 2.33 | $33,600 | $30,030 | $47,560 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 0.90 | $36,760 | $30,710 | $47,810 | -0% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 770 | 2.04 | $43,220 | $33,440 | $55,490 | +10% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 690 | 1.14 | $43,850 | $30,980 | $60,850 | -12% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 670 | 1.49 | $49,120 | $36,790 | $78,590 | +1% |
| Security Guards | 630 | 1.23 | $40,980 | $32,000 | $60,600 | +8% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 630 | 1.50 | $77,260 | $59,430 | $87,630 | +7% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 530 | 1.77 | $122,430 | $90,000 | $179,210 | -23% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,630 | 1.17 | $106,770 | $55,440 | $199,990 | +1% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,090 | 0.81 | $100,790 | $74,300 | $131,830 | +3% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 600 | 3.30 | $81,410 | $54,140 | $95,680 | +6% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 630 | 1.50 | $77,260 | $59,430 | $87,630 | +7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 620 | 1.08 | $72,780 | $55,230 | $118,290 | -13% |
| Management Analysts | 540 | 1.52 | $68,560 | $56,200 | $124,280 | -33% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 850 | 1.97 | $67,560 | $49,570 | $114,720 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 610 | 1.07 | $65,760 | $44,240 | $97,360 | -5% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 560 | 1.02 | $50,890 | $36,460 | $76,220 | +0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,410 | 3.55 | $50,170 | $36,820 | $75,940 | +6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 670 | 1.49 | $49,120 | $36,790 | $78,590 | +1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 600 | 1.24 | $47,290 | $35,360 | $67,920 | +7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,680 | 1.87 | $46,640 | $28,900 | $78,210 | +32% |
| Bartenders | 530 | 1.76 | $44,250 | $27,590 | $65,640 | +29% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 690 | 1.14 | $43,850 | $30,980 | $60,850 | -12% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 770 | 2.04 | $43,220 | $33,440 | $55,490 | +10% |
| Construction Laborers | 530 | 1.21 | $41,980 | $32,110 | $56,210 | -11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 830 | 0.80 | $41,000 | $31,200 | $59,950 | -8% |
| Security Guards | 630 | 1.23 | $40,980 | $32,000 | $60,600 | +8% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Santa Fe, NM, about 24 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,710 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 17.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.7% |
| Retail trade | 11.4% |
| Construction | 11.3% |
| Public administration | 7.9% |
| Other services | 5.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.6% |
| Manufacturing | 1.5% |
| Information | 0.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Española lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Santa Fe County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Arriba County | 40,070 | $1,379 million | $34,415 | 9,291 | 859 | $48,908 | -1.8% | 4.8% | 15,926 |
| Santa Fe County | 156,105 | $10,087 million | $64,614 | 61,826 | 6,768 | $61,218 | +1.2% | 4.3% | 71,445 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,300 | 25.1% | $63,906 | 0.98 |
| Retail trade | 1,010 | 19.5% | $32,605 | 1.09 |
| Accommodation and food services | 897 | 17.3% | $26,287 | 1.06 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 307 | 5.9% | $50,625 | 1.10 |
| Construction | 298 | 5.8% | $68,384 | 0.61 |
| Administrative and waste services | 273 | 5.3% | $72,317 | 0.50 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 151 | 2.9% | $52,174 | 0.38 |
| Manufacturing | 123 | 2.4% | $36,526 | 0.16 |
| Finance and insurance | 121 | 2.3% | $52,403 | 0.32 |
| Professional and technical services | 119 | 2.3% | $77,220 | 0.18 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 110 | 2.1% | $35,976 | 0.70 |
| Utilities | 104 | 2.0% | $87,036 | 2.94 |
| Information | 78 | 1.5% | $45,132 | 0.45 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 73 | 1.4% | $44,092 | 0.97 |
| Educational services | 51 | 1.0% | $22,842 | 0.27 |
| Management of companies | 50 | 1.0% | $69,193 | 0.32 |
| Wholesale trade | 44 | 0.9% | $53,098 | 0.12 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 40 | 0.8% | $73,852 | 1.14 |
| Real estate and rental | 27 | 0.5% | $47,716 | 0.19 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 86.0% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 0.8% |
| Work from home | 5.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 28.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,667 |
| Income per person | $27,745 |
| Median gross rent per month | $829 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.9% |
| Median home value | $210,800 |
| Homeowners | 65.2% |
| Poverty rate | 20.4% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 98.8 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $48,710 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 82.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.3% |
| Born abroad | 14.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 56.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.1 | 26 | 25 |
| Feb | -1.3 | 30 | 24 |
| Mar | 3.0 | 37 | 22 |
| Apr | 7.1 | 45 | 24 |
| May | 12.5 | 54 | 24 |
| Jun | 19.0 | 66 | 19 |
| Jul | 20.9 | 70 | 64 |
| Aug | 19.3 | 67 | 53 |
| Sep | 15.2 | 59 | 45 |
| Oct | 8.4 | 47 | 32 |
| Nov | 2.2 | 36 | 22 |
| Dec | -3.0 | 27 | 31 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos | NM | 14 mi | 13,317 | $141,018 | $1,359 |
| Santa Fe | NM | 24 mi | 89,019 | $73,482 | $1,463 |
| Taos | NM | 38 mi | 6,458 | $47,304 | $883 |
| Bernalillo | NM | 55 mi | 9,086 | $63,880 | $902 |
| Las Vegas | NM | 55 mi | 13,000 | $45,125 | $792 |
| Edgewood | NM | 61 mi | 6,124 | $84,761 | $1,114 |
| Rio Rancho | NM | 61 mi | 108,515 | $89,596 | $1,514 |
| Corrales | NM | 61 mi | 8,555 | $102,307 | $1,143 |
| North Valley | NM | 65 mi | 10,455 | $61,498 | $893 |
| Albuquerque | NM | 70 mi | 562,218 | $68,317 | $1,145 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,473 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$829 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.9% of the median household income.
$47,667 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.8% (BLS county, Rio Arriba County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.