CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

35.17° N · 106.62° W · GEOID 3552750

North Valley

Bernalillo County, New Mexico · part of the Albuquerque, NM metro

New MexicoNorth Valley, NMNorth ValleyNorth Valley

The short answer

North Valley is home to 10,455 people. Median household income is $61,498 a year and median rent is $893 a month, 17.4% 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 $302,700, about 4.9x annual median household income.

North Valley stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 8.5%, against 4.1% in its closest peers. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 3.8 libraries per 10,000 residents, more than in 98% of places its size.

38OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

North Valley scores better than 38% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 15th of 43 in New Mexico.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%50
Economy 20%18
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%54
Education 10%41
Commute 10%81
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$893
35% below the median place
Median household income
$61,498
23% below the median place
Median home value
$302,700
5% below the median place
Unemployment
8.5%
74% above the median place

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.

01

Moving to North Valley

Bernalillo County loses about 5.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in22,818
Moved out25,597
Net−2,779

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Sandoval County, NM3,0334,183−1,150
Valencia County, NM1,1661,768−602
Maricopa County, AZ6701,014−344
Torrance County, NM401

Within New Mexico, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New MexicoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K
Leavers$69K

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

Who moves here
5.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Bernalillo County report $59,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$35,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $893 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,723 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $302,700.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 21.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Godfrey, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.0%
51% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-5.3
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$59,630
16% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.0%13% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.0%51% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.3below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$59,63016% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$68,9392% below
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $52,400 a year, less than in 78% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

North Valley17.4%
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
$35,720
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.4%
15% below the median place
Home price to income
4.9x
29% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$51,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in North Valley, $893 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like North Valley, but easier on the budget

Places that match North Valley on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Godfrey, IL9214.6% vs 17.4%$29,600Compare
Spotswood, NJ8912.3% vs 17.4%$35,200Compare
Smithfield, VA8812.7% vs 17.4%$48,900Compare
Englewood, OH8814.3% vs 17.4%$18,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in North Valley.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to North Valley? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
76.3%
15% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
23% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$2,120
35% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$89335% below
Rent to income117.4%15% below
Property tax rate10.7%23% below
Home price to income14.9x29% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.55% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,38414% below
HUD area median income4County figure$100,4006% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,12035% below
Median home value1$302,7005% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.9%8% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure53.0%3% above
Homeownership176.3%15% above
Renters paying 30%+152.4%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7238% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.7%19% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 120 hours a year commuting, less than in 90% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
8.5%
74% above the median place
Works from home1
21.6%
74% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute20 min −20%
Poverty rate17.6% +64%
Median household income$61,498 −23%
Income per person$36,320 −9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$61,49823% below
Income per person1$36,3209% below
Unemployment18.5%74% above
Average annual pay6County figure$65,8130% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure347,718131% above
Poverty rate117.6%64% above
Mean commute120 min20% below
Works from home121.6%74% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 46.2, 18% above the median place.

Median age1
46.2
18% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
85.5%
7% below the median place
No health insurance1
10.0%
56% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad5.4% −39%
High school or higher89.7% −3%
Bachelor's or higher27.6% −14%
Household size2.4 −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,4554022nd largest
Median age146.218% above
Bachelor's or higher127.6%14% below
High school or higher189.7%3% below
Household size12.42% below
Born abroad15.4%39% below
No health insurance110.0%56% above
Homes with broadband185.5%7% below
05

Life in North Valley

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places we track.

165 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents15.3 +50%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.8 −66%
Libraries per 10k3.8 4.4×
Named paths and bike trails7 km 3.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.4 2.0×

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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Petroglyph National Monument 8 miles
  • Bandelier National Monument 45 miles
  • Valles Caldera National Preserve 48 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.0 +6%
Shops29.1 −4%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.4 +6%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
8.3
73% below the median place
Public schools12
205
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
84,577
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure205above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure84,577above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure12.519% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.06% above
Shops per 10k8County figure29.14% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure21.46% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.717% above
Parks per 10k915.350% above
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k93.866% below
Libraries per 10k93.8340% above
Named paths and bike trails96.5225% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.4105% above
Nearest National Park Service site108.373% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
National Register listings11County figure165above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 11.7 in, 73% 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 North Valley. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation13
11.7 in
73% below the median place
Good air days15
26.6%
61% below the median place
Median air quality index15
58
35% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureNorth ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F3% above
January average low13County figure22°F14% below
Average temperature13County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation13County figure11.7 in73% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure94.42% above
Tornado risk14County figure56.131% below
Wildfire risk14County figure95.055% above
Heat wave risk14County figure95.46% above
Median air quality index15County figure5835% above
Good air days15County figure26.6%61% below
08

North Valley in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

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. On projected 2030 affordability, North Valley does better than 50% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 36%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$893/mo (2024)$1,140/mo$930 to $1,390/mo+4.1%
Median household income$61,498 (2024)$77,500$65,500 to $91,500+3.9%
Median home value$302,700 (2024)$430,000$312,000 to $592,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 5.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.9 now.

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

09

Places like North Valley

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

PlaceRentIncome
Cañon City, CO$997$64,787Compare
Lynchburg, Moore County, TN$841$66,469Compare
Winchester, TN$974$62,782Compare
Reading, OH$940$61,866Compare
Reading, OHWinchester, TNLynchburg, Moore County, TNCañon City, CONorth Valley, NMNorth ValleyCañon CityLynchburg, Moore CountyWinchesterReadingNorth ValleyCañon CityLynchburg, Moore CountyWinchesterReading

Places built like North Valley

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how North Valley performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
North Valley, NM17.4%2.7%/yrn/a
Bernalillo, NM16.9%7.3%/yr1.9%Compare
Santa Clara, OR23.2%6.0%/yrn/aCompare
Hudson, NH21.6%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Middletown, PA19.0%4.6%/yrn/aCompare
Middle Valley, TN14.9%6.6%/yrn/aCompare
Orchard Mesa, CO22.9%9.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is North Valley a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 38 out of 100, better than 38% of the places we rate and 15th of 43 in New Mexico. On cost, space and class size it scores 45 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is North Valley expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.4% 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 $302,700.

What salary do you need to live in North Valley?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $35,720 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to North Valley?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cañon City, CO, Lynchburg, Moore County, TN, Winchester, TN and Reading, OH.

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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

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 North Valley with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for North Valley itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/north-valley-new-mexico

Citytistics. “North Valley, New Mexico.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/north-valley-new-mexico/

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