County FMR · HUD FY2026

Dona Ana County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dona Ana County, NM - 1% below the US average.

$951
1-bedroom FMR
$1,042
2-bedroom FMR
+1.2%
YoY change
-1%
vs US avg

The verdict

Dona Ana is the 15th most expensive of 33 counties in New Mexico by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,510 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#1,510
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#15
most expensive of 33 in New Mexico (2BR)
+3%
vs the state average
$38,040
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (39.8%); nearby New Mexico counties range as much as 57% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dona Ana County, NM. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Dona Ana County, New Mexico at $951 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,042/mo and a studio is $744/mo. This is 1% lower than the national average of $959 and 3% above the New Mexico average of $927.

Rent increased1.2% from FY 2025 ($940), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $38,040/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 48.0% of the 28,988 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Mexico. Population: 219,870. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.9%, Census ACS). That's faster than New Mexico's statewide growth of +1.1% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area DONA·ANA·COUNTY·NM·NM

Dona Ana County, NM: $951/mo 1BR · #1510 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NM
  • 1BR-FMR $951
  • 2BR-FMR $1,042
  • RANK-MID #1,510
  • YOY-FLAT +1.2%
  • VSUS-NEAR -1%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +3% NM
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MID 220K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bernalillo County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $856–$1,046
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bernalillo ($234 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $828 · US avg: $893
$744/mo
↑ 0.4% YoY -10% vs state -17% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $927 · US avg: $959
$951/mo
↑ 1.2% YoY +3% vs state -1% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,129 · US avg: $1,175
$1,042/mo
↑ 0.1% YoY -8% vs state -11% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,496 · US avg: $1,525
$1,449/mo
↑ 0.1% YoY -3% vs state -5% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,758 · US avg: $1,756
$1,580/mo
↓ 1.6% YoY -10% vs state -10% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $741
$744
+$3 (+0.4%)
1 Bedroom $940
$951
+$11 (+1.2%)
2 Bedroom $1,041
$1,042
+$1 (+0.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,447
$1,449
+$2 (+0.1%)
4 Bedroom $1,605
$1,580
$-25 (-1.6%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Dona Ana County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
16%
Affordable
Need $29,760/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.5%
Affordable
Need $38,040/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
22.5%
Affordable
Need $41,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
31.2%
Burdened
Need $57,960/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
34.1%
Burdened
Need $63,200/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%22.5%
Dona Ana County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $55,663 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New Mexico rent burden →

Where Dona Ana sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,042 higher than 52% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Dona Ana compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New Mexico counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Dona Ana is highlighted. Nearby New Mexico counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Fe County ($1,390), Bernalillo County ($1,185), Sandoval County ($1,185), Valencia County ($1,185), Lea County ($1,068), Dona Ana County (this county) ($951), San Juan County ($885).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $951/mo compares to New Mexico salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation NM Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $120,820 9.4% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,200 11.4% Affordable
Registered Nurses $88,260 12.9% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,420 14.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $65,510 17.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $63,340 18% Affordable
Electricians $56,890 20.1% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,620 20.2% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $48,360 23.6% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $44,970 25.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $38,060 30% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $33,640 33.9% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $31,360 36.4% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,350 37.6% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,650 39.8% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (New Mexico) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dona Ana County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dona Ana (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 58.0% overall, from $602 to $951. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +19.0% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $951
Dona Ana County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑1.2% $744 $951 $1,042
FY 2025 ↑6.7% $741 $940 $1,041
FY 2024 ↑14.1% $739 $881 $989
FY 2023 ↑19.0% $715 $772 $893
FY 2022 ↑7.6% $635 $649 $787
FY 2021 ↑0.2% $571 $603 $734
FY 2020 $544 $602 $742
Total change (6yr): +58.0%
Annualized: +7.9%/yr
1 BR: $602 → $951

Part of the Las Cruces, NM Metro Area

Dona Ana County is a central county of the Las Cruces, NM metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dona Ana County, both outside New Mexico so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside NM (FY2026).

Callaway County
MO · 2 BR $1,042/mo
Hart County
GA · 2 BR $1,042/mo
Anderson County
KY · 2 BR $1,042/mo
Pierce County
GA · 2 BR $1,042/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NM).

Cross County
AR · 22.5% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Red River Parish
LA · 22.5% of income · 2 BR $834/mo
Lincoln County
CO · 22.5% of income · 2 BR $1,016/mo
Currituck County
NC · 22.5% of income · 2 BR $1,713/mo

Nearby Counties in New Mexico

Largest counties by population in New Mexico

Showing the 8 largest of 32 other counties in New Mexico.

Bernalillo County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 674,692
Santa Fe County
1 BR: $1,390/mo Pop: 154,481
Sandoval County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 149,460
San Juan County
1 BR: $885/mo Pop: 121,798
Valencia County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 76,613
Lea County
1 BR: $1,068/mo Pop: 73,103
McKinley County
1 BR: $894/mo Pop: 72,073
Otero County
1 BR: $792/mo Pop: 67,850
View all counties in New Mexico →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Dona Ana County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dona Ana County is $951 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,042 and a studio is $744.
How does Dona Ana County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Dona Ana County is 1% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $951 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dona Ana County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dona Ana County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,042 ranks #1,510 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Dona Ana County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $38,040 ($3,170/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dona Ana County.
Is rent going up or down in Dona Ana County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dona Ana County increased by 1.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $940 to $951.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dona Ana County? ▼
Based on New Mexico BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $951/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dona Ana County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dona Ana County went from $602 in FY 2020 to $951 in FY 2026, a total change of +58.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dona Ana County? ▼
In Dona Ana County, the FY 2026 FMR of $951/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Dona Ana County? ▼
For Dona Ana County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($951/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.