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Cost of living, pay and housing

32.93° N · 105.80° W · GEOID 3532160

High Rolls

Otero County, New Mexico · part of the Alamogordo, NM metro

Limited data population under 5,000

New MexicoHigh Rolls, NMHigh RollsHigh Rolls

The short answer

High Rolls is home to 1,313 people. Median household income is $86,375 a year and median rent is $763 a month, 10.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $257,600, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$763
44% below the median place
Median household income
$86,375
8% above the median place
Median home value
$257,600
19% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about High Rolls

  • Household income has grown 16.8% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 46 New Mexico places.
  • 98% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 46 New Mexico places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 34 New Mexico places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 41 New Mexico places.
  • The median rent takes only 10.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 46 New Mexico places.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 85 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to High Rolls

Otero County gains about 6.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,893
Moved out4,573
Net+320

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within New Mexico, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New MexicoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$48K
Leavers$55K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Otero County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Otero County report $48,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $54,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$30,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $763 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,570 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $257,600.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 6.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Ellettsville, IN matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in6
$48,104
32% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure6.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$48,10432% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$54,87822% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

High Rolls10.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$30,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
10.6%
48% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
22% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
11%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$76,800
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in High Rolls, $763 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in High Rolls.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to High Rolls? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Homeownership1
98.0%
48% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
44% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$76344% below
Rent to income110.6%48% below
Property tax rate10.5%44% below
Home price to income13.0x22% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,01437% below
HUD area median income3County figure$71,00034% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,30160% below
Median home value1$257,60019% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure7.9%147% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure58.4%13% above
Homeownership198.0%48% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,57016% below
Vacant homes1County figure25.0%254% above
Median year built119931% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$30,232
25% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$86,3758% above
Income per person1$30,23225% below
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay5County figure$51,65622% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.3%11% below
Jobs5County figure17,53988% below
Poverty rate1County figure19.3%79% above
Mean commute1County figure22 min11% below
Works from home1County figure6.7%46% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 98.1%, 6% above the median place.

High school or higher1
98.1%
6% above the median place
Household size1
3.3
30% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
83.1%
10% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,3136646th largest
Median age1County figure36.47% below
Bachelor's or higher140.7%27% above
High school or higher198.1%6% above
Household size13.330% above
Born abroad1County figure9.7%9% above
No health insurance1County figure10.1%58% above
Homes with broadband183.1%10% below
05

Life in High Rolls

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Fresnal Shelter listed 1998

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k7.6 −19%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.5×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars12.1 −42%
Shops26.6 −12%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.9 −54%
Doctors' offices and clinics11.5 −43%
Child care centers1.6 −30%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools10
1
89% below the median place
Public school students10
21
100% below the median place
Students per teacher10
10.5
32% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10189% below
Public school students1021100% below
Students per teacher1010.532% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure12.142% below
Shops per 10k7County figure26.612% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure1.954% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure11.543% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.630% below
Parks per 10k80.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k87.619% below
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails89.1355% above
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 11.3, 86% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached High Rolls. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk12
11.3
86% below the median place
Annual precipitation11
13.2 in
70% below the median place
Wildfire risk12
98.2
60% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureHigh RollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure89°F3% above
January average low11County figure27°F6% above
Average temperature11County figure58°F6% above
Annual precipitation11County figure13.2 in70% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure84.78% below
Hurricane risk12County figure23.667% below
Tornado risk12County figure11.386% below
Wildfire risk12County figure98.260% above
Heat wave risk12County figure68.724% below
08

High Rolls in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$86,375 (2024)$115,000$97,000 to $136,000+4.9%
Median home value$257,600 (2024)$352,000$256,000 to $485,000+5.3%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like High Rolls

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Ellettsville, IN$855$90,213Compare
Northport, AL$982$80,913Compare
McPherson, KS$925$77,529Compare
Jackson, MO$900$77,105Compare
Jackson, MOMcPherson, KSNorthport, ALEllettsville, INHigh Rolls, NMHigh RollsEllettsvilleNorthportMcPhersonJacksonHigh RollsEllettsvilleNorthportMcPhersonJackson

Common questions

Is High Rolls a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Household income has grown 16.8% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 46 New Mexico places. 98% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 46 New Mexico places. On cost, space and class size it scores 100 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is High Rolls expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 10.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $257,600.

What salary do you need to live in High Rolls?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $30,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to High Rolls?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Ellettsville, IN, Northport, AL, McPherson, KS and Jackson, MO.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares High Rolls with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for High Rolls itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/high-rolls-new-mexico

Citytistics. “High Rolls, New Mexico.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/high-rolls-new-mexico/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.