County FMR · HUD FY2026

Los Alamos County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Los Alamos County, NM - 38% above the US average.

$1,326
1-bedroom FMR
$1,740
2-bedroom FMR
+23.5%
YoY change
+38%
vs US avg

The verdict

Los Alamos is the 1st most expensive of 33 counties in New Mexico by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #252 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 23.5% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#252
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#1
most expensive of 33 in New Mexico (2BR)
+43%
vs the state average
$53,040
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (55.5%); 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 Los Alamos County, NM. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Los Alamos County, New Mexico is $1,326 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,740/mo and a studio is $1,200/mo. This is 38% higher than the national average of $959 and 43% above the New Mexico average of $927.

Rent increased23.5% from FY 2025 ($1,074), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $53,040/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 22.6% of the 2,090 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: 19,253. Population grew 5.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than New Mexico's statewide growth of +1.1% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area LOS·ALAMOS·COUNTY·NM·NM

Los Alamos County, NM: $1,326/mo 1BR · #252 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NM
  • 1BR-FMR $1,326
  • 2BR-FMR $1,740
  • RANK-UPPER #252
  • YOY-SURGE +23.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +38%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +43% NM
  • INC-ROOM 11%
  • POP-SMALL 19K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bernalillo County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,193–$1,459
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bernalillo ($141 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $828 · US avg: $893
$1,200/mo
↑ 20.4% YoY +45% vs state +34% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $927 · US avg: $959
$1,326/mo
↑ 23.5% YoY +43% vs state +38% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,129 · US avg: $1,175
$1,740/mo
↑ 23.5% YoY +54% vs state +48% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,496 · US avg: $1,525
$2,086/mo
↑ 22.9% YoY +39% vs state +37% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,758 · US avg: $1,756
$2,843/mo
↑ 20.2% YoY +62% vs state +62% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $997
$1,200
+$203 (+20.4%)
1 Bedroom $1,074
$1,326
+$252 (+23.5%)
2 Bedroom $1,409
$1,740
+$331 (+23.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,698
$2,086
+$388 (+22.9%)
4 Bedroom $2,366
$2,843
+$477 (+20.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
10.1%
Affordable
Need $48,000/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
11.1%
Affordable
Need $53,040/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
14.6%
Affordable
Need $69,600/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
17.5%
Affordable
Need $83,440/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
23.8%
Affordable
Need $113,720/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%14.6%
Los Alamos County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $143,188 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New Mexico rent burden →

Where Los Alamos sits among every US county

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

$1,740 Top 8% higher than 92% 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%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Los Alamos compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New Mexico counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Los Alamos is highlighted. Nearby New Mexico counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Fe County ($1,390), Los Alamos County (this county) ($1,326), Bernalillo County ($1,185), Sandoval County ($1,185), Valencia County ($1,185), Dona Ana 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?

Against a high local FMR of $1,326/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using New Mexico BLS wages?

Occupation NM Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $120,820 13.2% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,200 15.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $88,260 18% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,420 20.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $65,510 24.3% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $63,340 25.1% Affordable
Electricians $56,890 28% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,620 28.1% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $48,360 32.9% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $44,970 35.4% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $38,060 41.8% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $33,640 47.3% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $31,360 50.7% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $30,350 52.4% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,650 55.5% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (New Mexico) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Los Alamos (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 45.9% overall, from $909 to $1,326. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 23.5% (FY 2026), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,326
Los Alamos County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑23.5% $1,200 $1,326 $1,740
FY 2025 ↑3.6% $997 $1,074 $1,409
FY 2024 ↑10.8% $995 $1,037 $1,363
FY 2023 ↑10.1% $860 $936 $1,195
FY 2022 ↓10.0% $774 $850 $1,068
FY 2021 ↑3.9% $859 $944 $1,182
FY 2020 $820 $909 $1,107
Total change (6yr): +45.9%
Annualized: +6.5%/yr
1 BR: $909 → $1,326

Part of the Los Alamos, NM Micro Area

Los Alamos County is a central county of the Los Alamos, NM micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Los Alamos 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).

San Joaquin County
CA · 2 BR $1,742/mo
Clark County
NV · 2 BR $1,735/mo
El Paso County
CO · 2 BR $1,735/mo
Hampden County
MA · 2 BR $1,734/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Effingham County
IL · 14.6% of income · 2 BR $916/mo
Ottawa County
KS · 14.6% of income · 2 BR $933/mo
Winneshiek County
IA · 14.6% of income · 2 BR $919/mo
Gosper County
NE · 14.6% of income · 2 BR $961/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
Dona Ana County
1 BR: $951/mo Pop: 219,870
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
View all counties in New Mexico →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Los Alamos County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Los Alamos County is $1,326 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,740 and a studio is $1,200.
How does Los Alamos County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Los Alamos County is 38% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,326 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Los Alamos County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Los Alamos County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,740 ranks #252 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Los Alamos County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $53,040 ($4,420/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Los Alamos County.
Is rent going up or down in Los Alamos County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Los Alamos County increased by 23.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,074 to $1,326.
Which jobs can afford rent in Los Alamos 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 $1,326/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Los Alamos County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Los Alamos County went from $909 in FY 2020 to $1,326 in FY 2026, a total change of +45.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Los Alamos County? ▼
In Los Alamos County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,326/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 Los Alamos County? ▼
For Los Alamos County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,326/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.