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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Los Alamos has the highest average pay in its county ($113,944), followed by Carlsbad and Artesia. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 40 places in New Mexico that we cover, the median is $51,836 and the average $56,324; the figure runs from $113,944 (Los Alamos) to $43,202 (Ruidoso). That is a spread of 2.6 times between the two ends.
The first five are Los Alamos, Carlsbad, Artesia, Hobbs, Lovington. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | County average annual pay ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos (unincorporated) | Los Alamos County | $113,944 | 13,317 | $141,018 | $1,359 |
| 2 | Carlsbad | Eddy County | $76,419 | 31,746 | $72,306 | $1,236 |
| 3 | Artesia | Eddy County | $76,419 | 12,576 | $74,915 | $1,288 |
| 4 | Hobbs | Lea County | $69,342 | 40,252 | $64,021 | $1,112 |
| 5 | Lovington | Lea County | $69,342 | 11,498 | $68,821 | $1,014 |
| 6 | North Hobbs (unincorporated) | Lea County | $69,342 | 6,034 | $82,554 | $1,319 |
| 7 | Albuquerque | Bernalillo County | $63,493 | 562,218 | $68,317 | $1,145 |
| 8 | South Valley (unincorporated) | Bernalillo County | $63,493 | 37,120 | $58,224 | $954 |
| 9 | North Valley (unincorporated) | Bernalillo County | $63,493 | 10,455 | $61,498 | $893 |
| 10 | Santa Fe | Santa Fe County | $61,218 | 89,019 | $73,482 | $1,463 |
| 11 | Edgewood | Santa Fe County | $61,218 | 6,124 | $84,761 | $1,114 |
| 12 | Rio Rancho | Sandoval County | $60,474 | 108,515 | $89,596 | $1,514 |
| 13 | Bernalillo | Sandoval County | $60,474 | 9,086 | $63,880 | $902 |
| 14 | Corrales | Sandoval County | $60,474 | 8,555 | $102,307 | $1,143 |
| 15 | Farmington | San Juan County | $56,008 | 46,314 | $68,784 | $1,037 |
| 16 | Shiprock (unincorporated) | San Juan County | $56,008 | 7,610 | $35,900 | $694 |
| 17 | Bloomfield | San Juan County | $56,008 | 7,395 | $48,472 | $984 |
| 18 | Aztec | San Juan County | $56,008 | 6,150 | $41,977 | $629 |
| 19 | Silver City | Grant County | $54,413 | 9,536 | $38,711 | $866 |
| 20 | Socorro | Socorro County | $51,836 | 8,481 | $39,375 | $711 |
| 21 | Alamogordo | Otero County | $50,017 | 31,307 | $55,952 | $902 |
| 22 | Las Cruces | Doña Ana County | $49,974 | 114,197 | $55,422 | $974 |
| 23 | Chaparral (unincorporated) | Doña Ana County | $49,974 | 18,186 | $46,017 | $853 |
| 24 | Sunland Park | Doña Ana County | $49,974 | 17,463 | $62,814 | $920 |
| 25 | Anthony | Doña Ana County | $49,974 | 8,767 | $38,132 | $561 |
| 26 | Santa Teresa (unincorporated) | Doña Ana County | $49,974 | 6,041 | $63,161 | $1,356 |
| 27 | Los Lunas | Valencia County | $49,642 | 18,618 | $62,330 | $1,110 |
| 28 | Belen | Valencia County | $49,642 | 7,450 | $42,627 | $916 |
| 29 | Española | Rio Arriba County | $48,908 | 10,473 | $47,667 | $829 |
| 30 | Deming | Luna County | $48,771 | 15,221 | $34,165 | $586 |
| 31 | Grants | Cibola County | $48,565 | 8,951 | $47,183 | $783 |
| 32 | Roswell | Chaves County | $47,769 | 47,638 | $51,583 | $876 |
| 33 | Gallup | McKinley County | $47,226 | 21,023 | $58,303 | $927 |
| 34 | Clovis | Curry County | $46,746 | 37,942 | $54,820 | $988 |
| 35 | Taos | Taos County | $45,377 | 6,458 | $47,304 | $883 |
| 36 | Portales | Roosevelt County | $45,232 | 11,968 | $50,555 | $903 |
| 37 | Truth or Consequences | Sierra County | $44,291 | 6,019 | $33,788 | $714 |
| 38 | Las Vegas | San Miguel County | $44,192 | 13,000 | $45,125 | $792 |
| 39 | Raton | Colfax County | $44,087 | 6,026 | $52,641 | $741 |
| 40 | Ruidoso | Lincoln County | $43,202 | 7,699 | $52,736 | $944 |
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Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. County figures describe the whole county where the city lies.
Los Alamos, with $113,944 (among the 40 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 40 largest places in New Mexico by population.