Rio Rancho, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rio Rancho, NM Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 102,670 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 990.8 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.48% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 38,398 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rio Rancho grew by 49.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 102,670 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rio Rancho is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.8% of residents. That is 1.5 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,456 20.9% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,397 22.8% +1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,265 19.7% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,113 16.7% -1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Mexico, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.3% of the people living in Rio Rancho and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 48.7% New Mexico 49.5%
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Economy
Rio Rancho has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,240 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.81% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rio Rancho is about 38% higher than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $348,703 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,484 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rio Rancho is about 19.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,484 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rio Rancho spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 234 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.2 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 234 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,263 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.2% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,793 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,226 | 619 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Rio Rancho is 28 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in New Mexico.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rio Rancho has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Rio Rancho has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Rio Rancho | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 18.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
How big is Rio Rancho, New Mexico by population?
About 102,670 people live in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, in 38,398 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Rio Rancho, New Mexico?
Averaged over its land area, Rio Rancho, New Mexico has 991 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($348,703 against $89,240), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,484 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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