Jobs, pay and daily life in Ruidoso, 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 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Ruidoso is a city in New Mexico with 7,699 residents. The median household earns $52,736 a year and the median rent is $944 a month, which is 21.5% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Ruidoso compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Ruidoso is #30 by population, #9 for college degrees (#1 = most), #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #11 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Lincoln County, is #30 of 33 counties for average pay ($43,202).
Ruidoso has 7,699 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 16 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 477 people per square mile. The median age is 44.8, 14% older than the state median (44.8 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $944 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% below the state median ($944 against $1,067). Over a year that is 21.5% 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 $243,800, which is 4.6 times the median household income ($52,736). 68.4% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (68.4% against 70.0%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Lincoln County was 4.8%. 54.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Lincoln County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.8% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 12.9% work from home. 7.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 43% below the state average (7.3% against 12.8%).
35.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14% above the state share (35.4% against 31.0%). 4.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 58% below the state share (4.0% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 20.6%, 15% above the state rate (20.6% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.9°C). About 330 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (64 mm) and Jan the driest (13 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: Alamogordo (36 miles, rent 4% lower); Roswell (66 miles, rent 7% lower); Artesia (80 miles, rent 36% higher); Socorro (86 miles, rent 25% lower). Rent differences are against Ruidoso; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideLincoln 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 864 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.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 17.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 16.5% |
| Retail trade | 15.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 11.4% |
| Construction | 7.5% |
| Public administration | 6.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.9% |
| Other services | 4.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 0.7% |
| Information | 0.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Ruidoso lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 20,224 | $894 million | $44,214 | 6,782 | 888 | $43,202 | -1.2% | 4.8% | 8,167 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 1,299 | 28.5% | $25,765 | 2.11 |
| Retail trade | 1,223 | 26.8% | $32,782 | 1.81 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 532 | 11.7% | $32,641 | 4.67 |
| Construction | 358 | 7.8% | $41,721 | 1.01 |
| Administrative and waste services | 234 | 5.1% | $43,061 | 0.59 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 209 | 4.6% | $34,492 | 1.02 |
| Real estate and rental | 165 | 3.6% | $40,496 | 1.57 |
| Finance and insurance | 132 | 2.9% | $61,466 | 0.48 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 123 | 2.7% | $25,667 | 0.43 |
| Manufacturing | 121 | 2.7% | $30,573 | 0.22 |
| Utilities | 71 | 1.6% | $81,401 | 2.75 |
| Information | 66 | 1.4% | $46,145 | 0.52 |
| Wholesale trade | 30 | 0.7% | $62,650 | 0.11 |
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 | 75.8% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 12.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,736 |
| Income per person | $35,658 |
| Median gross rent per month | $944 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.5% |
| Median home value | $243,800 |
| Homeowners | 68.4% |
| Poverty rate | 20.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
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 | 44.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 35.4% |
| Born abroad | 4.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 54.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.9 | 35 | 13 |
| Feb | 3.9 | 39 | 15 |
| Mar | 8.2 | 47 | 14 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 54 | 14 |
| May | 17.4 | 63 | 18 |
| Jun | 23.1 | 74 | 22 |
| Jul | 23.6 | 74 | 64 |
| Aug | 22.6 | 73 | 57 |
| Sep | 19.0 | 66 | 51 |
| Oct | 13.1 | 56 | 31 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 44 | 16 |
| Dec | 2.0 | 36 | 15 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamogordo | NM | 36 mi | 31,307 | $55,952 | $902 |
| Roswell | NM | 66 mi | 47,638 | $51,583 | $876 |
| Artesia | NM | 80 mi | 12,576 | $74,915 | $1,288 |
| Socorro | NM | 86 mi | 8,481 | $39,375 | $711 |
| Truth or Consequences | NM | 93 mi | 6,019 | $33,788 | $714 |
| Las Cruces | NM | 96 mi | 114,197 | $55,422 | $974 |
| Chaparral | NM | 100 mi | 18,186 | $46,017 | $853 |
| Carlsbad | NM | 106 mi | 31,746 | $72,306 | $1,236 |
| Anthony | NM | 107 mi | 8,767 | $38,132 | $561 |
| El Paso | TX | 113 mi | 680,130 | $59,745 | $1,073 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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7,699 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$944 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.5% of the median household income.
$52,736 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.8% (BLS county, Lincoln County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.