County FMR · HUD FY2026
Santa Fe County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Santa Fe County, NM - 45% above the US average.
- $1,390
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,685
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.6%
- YoY change
- +45%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Santa Fe is the 2nd most expensive of 33 counties in New Mexico by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #346 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #346
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #2
- most expensive of 33 in New Mexico (2BR)
- +50%
- vs the state average
- $55,600
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (58.2%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Santa Fe County, NM. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Santa Fe County, New Mexico at $1,390 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,685/mo and a studio is $1,259/mo. This is 45% higher than the national average of $959 and 50% above the New Mexico average of $927.
Rent increased1.6% from FY 2025 ($1,368), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $55,600/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 43.8% of the 20,375 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.4%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.1% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Mexico. Population: 154,481. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.2%, Census ACS). That's faster than New Mexico's statewide growth of +1.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area SANTA·FE·COUNTY·NM·NM
Santa Fe County, NM: $1,390/mo 1BR · #346 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NM
- 1BR-FMR $1,390
- 2BR-FMR $1,685
- RANK-MID #346
- YOY-FLAT +1.6%
- VSUS-HIGH +45%
- VS-ST-HIGH +50% NM
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-MID 154K
- PHOTO-NEAR Bernalillo County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,251–$1,529
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Bernalillo ($205 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,235 | $1,259 | +$24 (+1.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,368 | $1,390 | +$22 (+1.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,627 | $1,685 | +$58 (+3.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,057 | $2,122 | +$65 (+3.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,157 | $2,231 | +$74 (+3.4%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Santa Fe County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Santa Fe sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,685 Top 11% higher than 89% of 3,145 counties
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 Santa Fe compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other New Mexico counties
- Santa Fe
Santa Fe County
$1,390 1BR FMR / mo
- Bernalillo
Bernalillo County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Sandoval
Sandoval County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Valencia
Valencia County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Lea
Lea County
$1,068 1BR FMR / mo
- Dona Ana
Dona Ana County
$951 1BR FMR / mo
- San Juan
San Juan County
$885 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Santa Fe is highlighted. Nearby New Mexico counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Fe County (this county) ($1,390), Bernalillo County ($1,185), Sandoval County ($1,185), Valencia County ($1,185), Lea County ($1,068), Dona Ana County ($951), San Juan County ($885).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,390/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 | 13.8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,200 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $88,260 | 18.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,420 | 21.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,510 | 25.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $63,340 | 26.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,890 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $56,620 | 29.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $48,360 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,970 | 37.1% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,060 | 43.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,640 | 49.6% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,360 | 53.2% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,350 | 55% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,650 | 58.2% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Santa Fe County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Santa Fe (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 49.8% overall, from $928 to $1,390. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +21.2% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.6% | $1,259 | $1,390 | $1,685 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.9% | $1,235 | $1,368 | $1,627 |
| FY 2024 ↑21.2% | $1,171 | $1,317 | $1,535 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.5% | $952 | $1,087 | $1,249 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.7% | $842 | $975 | $1,113 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.3% | $804 | $940 | $1,071 |
| FY 2020 | $802 | $928 | $1,057 |
Part of the Santa Fe, NM Metro Area
Santa Fe County is a central county of the Santa Fe, NM metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Santa Fe 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NM).
Nearby Counties in New Mexico
Largest counties by population in New Mexico
Showing the 8 largest of 32 other counties in New Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Santa Fe County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Santa Fe County is $1,390 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,685 and a studio is $1,259.
How does Santa Fe County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Santa Fe County is 45% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,390 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Santa Fe County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Santa Fe County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,685 ranks #346 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Santa Fe County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $55,600 ($4,633/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Santa Fe County.
Is rent going up or down in Santa Fe County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Santa Fe County increased by 1.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,368 to $1,390.
Which jobs can afford rent in Santa Fe 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 $1,390/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Santa Fe County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Santa Fe County went from $928 in FY 2020 to $1,390 in FY 2026, a total change of +49.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Santa Fe County?
In Santa Fe County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,390/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 Santa Fe County?
For Santa Fe County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,390/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Santa Fe County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.4%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Fe County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.1% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Santa Fe's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,390 implies about $55,600/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- New Mexico counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Bernalillo
- See where Santa Fe ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.