Best Places to Buy Rental Property in New Mexico (2026)

We ranked all 17 New Mexico counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Curry County leads at 6.4%, with a median price of $159,828.

New Mexico counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Curry County, NM6.4%$159,828$1,305-$37Run numbers
2Lea County, NM5.8%$196,513$1,469-$134Run numbers
3Chaves County, NM5.8%$171,293$1,263-$128Run numbers
4Sierra County, NM5.7%$181,189$1,313-$150Run numbers
5Otero County, NM5.2%$229,953$1,524-$283Run numbers
6Grant County, NM5.0%$179,773$1,163-$240Run numbers
7Eddy County, NM5.0%$247,965$1,582-$345Run numbers
8Valencia County, NM4.8%$318,413$1,945-$499Run numbers
9Roosevelt County, NM4.6%$147,590$862-$257Run numbers
10Lincoln County, NM4.4%$332,855$1,883-$620Run numbers
11Dona Ana County, NM4.0%$285,351$1,472-$624Run numbers
12San Juan County, NM4.0%$273,559$1,399-$606Run numbers
13Sandoval County, NM3.9%$373,280$1,879-$846Run numbers
14Taos County, NM3.6%$424,746$1,983-$1,064Run numbers
15Los Alamos County, NM3.5%$593,582$2,645-$1,569Run numbers
16Bernalillo County, NM3.3%$347,674$1,452-$982Run numbers
17Santa Fe County, NM2.8%$548,874$1,953-$1,771Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full New Mexico market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 17 counties in New Mexico and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare New Mexico against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a New Mexico property

Start from Curry County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.