The Town FilesRio Rancho, New Mexico
City in Sandoval County · population 104,046 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $310,200
- Household income
- $89,596
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 9 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 39.5
Rio Rancho is a city of 104,046 people in Sandoval County, New Mexico. The median home is worth $310,200, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). It ranks more vibrant than 92% of New Mexico towns, better for families than 90% of New Mexico towns, better transit than 89% of New Mexico towns.
How Rio Rancho ranks
Percentile among New Mexico towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Mexico towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rio Rancho is worth $310,200, above the typical New Mexico town ($187,400). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $89,596, which is more affordable than 43% of New Mexico towns. Median rent is $1,514 a month. 82.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rio Rancho | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $310,200 | $187,400 |
| Median rent | $1,514 | $916 |
| Median household income | $89,596 | $55,614 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 3.2× |
| Homeownership | 82.2% | 80.1% |
| Median year built | 2000 | 1984 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Rio Rancho
| People | Rio Rancho | Typical New Mexico town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 | 39.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.6% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 22.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.0% | 18.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 10.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.3% | — |
| Work from home | 15.5% | 8.3% |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 24.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.6% | 82.9% |
Weather in Rio Rancho
July highs average 95.5°F and January lows 23.7°F. About 9.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.3 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 95 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 116 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rio Rancho since 1950, compared with 3 for the typical New Mexico town. The strongest, an F1, struck on September 13, 1988 about 6.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 19, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on October 4, 2004.
Severe weather in Sandoval County since 1996
Sandoval County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | Flood | EM-3660: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| May 4, 2022 | Fire | DR-4652: Wildfires, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows |
| April 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3460: Covid-19 |
| June 15, 2017 | Fire | FM-5184: El Cajete Fire |
Jobs and pay in Sandoval County
Sandoval County had 35,653 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,474 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Rio Rancho itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Public schools in Rio Rancho
23 public schools with 17,684 students, about 21.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL | 9-12 | 2,625 | 25.2 |
| RIO RANCHO HIGH | 9-12 | 2,554 | 23.6 |
| RIO RANCHO MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6-8 | 1,125 | 24.5 |
| MOUNTAIN VIEW MIDDLE | 6-8 | 902 | 26.5 |
| ERNEST STAPLETON ELEMENTARY | K-5 | 801 | 22.3 |
| LINCOLN MIDDLE | 6-8 | 800 | 20.5 |
| EAGLE RIDGE MIDDLE | 6-8 | 777 | 17.7 |
| VISTA GRANDE ELEMENTARY | K-5 | 758 | 27.1 |
| SANDIA VISTA ELEMENTARY | PK-5 | 692 | 18.7 |
| MAGGIE CORDOVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | K-5 | 648 | 19.6 |
| CIELO AZUL ELEMENTARY | K-5 | 644 | 20.1 |
| ENCHANTED HILLS ELEMENTARY | K-5 | 641 | 20.0 |
Towns near Rio Rancho
- Corrales, NM5.1 mi · 8,493 people · home $571,500
- Paradise Hills, NM6.0 mi · 4,329 people · home $254,600
- Bernalillo, NM8.4 mi · 8,977 people · home $255,500
- North Valley, NM8.8 mi · 11,149 people · home $302,700
- Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM9.0 mi · 5,874 people · home $492,400
- Albuquerque, NM12.8 mi · 564,559 people · home $291,500
- Sandia Heights, NM14.1 mi · 3,273 people · home $670,100
- Placitas, NM14.7 mi · 5,041 people · home $562,100
Rio Rancho questions
Is Rio Rancho, New Mexico a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rio Rancho scores better for retirees than 27% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 8%. 17.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.5).
How much does a house cost in Rio Rancho?
The median owner-occupied home in Rio Rancho is valued at $310,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,596, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,514 a month.
What is the weather like in Rio Rancho?
July highs average 95.5°F and January lows 23.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.5 inches of precipitation a year and 9.3 inches of snow.
Does Rio Rancho get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rio Rancho since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on September 13, 1988. The typical New Mexico town has had 3.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)