Jobs, pay and daily life in Taos, 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.
Taos is a city in New Mexico with 6,458 residents. The median household earns $47,304 a year and the median rent is $883 a month, which is 22.4% 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 Taos compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Taos is #34 by population, #5 for college degrees (#1 = most), #7 for remote work (#1 = most), #33 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Taos County, is #23 of 33 counties for average pay ($45,377).
Taos has 6,458 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,067 people per square mile. The median age is 53.7, 36% older than the state median (53.7 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $883 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($883 against $1,067). Over a year that is 22.4% 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 $445,900, which is 9.4 times the median household income ($47,304); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 59.3% of households own their home, 15% below the state average (59.3% against 70.0%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Taos County was 5.3%. 59.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Taos County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.8% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 5.9% walk, 15.3% work from home. 18.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 41% above the state average (18.1% against 12.8%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
39.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26% above the state share (39.0% against 31.0%). 11.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 19% above the state share (11.2% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 13.7%, 23% below the state rate (13.7% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 68°F (20.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.4°C). About 427 mm (17 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (71 mm) and Nov the driest (24 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: Española (38 miles, rent 6% lower); Los Alamos (52 miles, rent 54% higher); Santa Fe (55 miles, rent 66% higher); Las Vegas (58 miles, rent 10% lower). Rent differences are against Taos; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideTaos 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 | 26.0% |
| Retail trade | 18.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.9% |
| Construction | 11.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.2% |
| Public administration | 5.0% |
| Other services | 4.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.6% |
| Manufacturing | 3.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 0.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Taos 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos County | 34,543 | $1,521 million | $44,026 | 11,075 | 1,449 | $45,377 | +1.9% | 5.3% | 14,704 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 1,965 | 21.7% | $27,978 | 1.95 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,766 | 19.5% | $53,297 | 1.11 |
| Retail trade | 1,588 | 17.6% | $34,238 | 1.44 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 909 | 10.1% | $34,397 | 4.88 |
| Construction | 562 | 6.2% | $58,406 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 386 | 4.3% | $54,308 | 0.59 |
| Professional and technical services | 280 | 3.1% | $68,506 | 0.36 |
| Educational services | 258 | 2.9% | $53,861 | 1.13 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 251 | 2.8% | $40,944 | 0.75 |
| Finance and insurance | 192 | 2.1% | $54,754 | 0.43 |
| Real estate and rental | 189 | 2.1% | $37,291 | 1.10 |
| Utilities | 153 | 1.7% | $66,877 | 3.63 |
| Manufacturing | 140 | 1.5% | $41,924 | 0.15 |
| Wholesale trade | 127 | 1.4% | $59,519 | 0.29 |
| Information | 115 | 1.3% | $57,106 | 0.55 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 63 | 0.7% | $42,249 | 0.13 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 54 | 0.6% | $69,664 | 1.29 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 36 | 0.4% | $29,329 | 0.40 |
| Management of companies | 6 | 0.1% | $61,903 | 0.03 |
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 | 67.8% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 5.9% |
| Work from home | 15.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,304 |
| Income per person | $45,132 |
| Median gross rent per month | $883 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.4% |
| Median home value | $445,900 |
| Homeowners | 59.3% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% |
| 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 | 53.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 39.0% |
| Born abroad | 11.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 59.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.4 | 26 | 25 |
| Feb | -2.0 | 28 | 26 |
| Mar | 2.4 | 36 | 27 |
| Apr | 6.4 | 44 | 29 |
| May | 11.7 | 53 | 31 |
| Jun | 18.1 | 65 | 27 |
| Jul | 20.1 | 68 | 71 |
| Aug | 18.6 | 65 | 57 |
| Sep | 14.6 | 58 | 46 |
| Oct | 7.9 | 46 | 32 |
| Nov | 1.8 | 35 | 24 |
| Dec | -3.4 | 26 | 32 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Española | NM | 38 mi | 10,473 | $47,667 | $829 |
| Los Alamos | NM | 52 mi | 13,317 | $141,018 | $1,359 |
| Santa Fe | NM | 55 mi | 89,019 | $73,482 | $1,463 |
| Las Vegas | NM | 58 mi | 13,000 | $45,125 | $792 |
| Raton | NM | 72 mi | 6,026 | $52,641 | $741 |
| Alamosa | CO | 77 mi | 9,879 | $49,688 | $837 |
| Bernalillo | NM | 92 mi | 9,086 | $63,880 | $902 |
| Edgewood | NM | 94 mi | 6,124 | $84,761 | $1,114 |
| Rio Rancho | NM | 99 mi | 108,515 | $89,596 | $1,514 |
| Corrales | NM | 99 mi | 8,555 | $102,307 | $1,143 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
6,458 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$883 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.4% of the median household income.
$47,304 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.3% (BLS county, Taos County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.