Department of Numbers

Las Cruces, New Mexico Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Las Cruces, New Mexico metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Las Cruces home affordability to other cities.

Las Cruces, New Mexico Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Las Cruces HPI series. Median household income data for Las Cruces is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Las Cruces, New Mexico Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 126.0
June 2011 126.9
March 2011 127.7
December 2010 131.0
September 2010 133.4
June 2010 132.6
March 2010 134.4
December 2009 134.9
September 2009 136.0

Las Cruces, New Mexico Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Las Cruces median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Las Cruces, New Mexico Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 101.5
June 2011 102.2
March 2011 102.9
December 2010 105.5
September 2010 107.5
June 2010 106.8
March 2010 108.3
December 2009 123.1
September 2009 124.1

Las Cruces, New Mexico Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Las Cruces, New Mexico and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Las Cruces, New Mexico Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
November 2011 $184,705
October 2011 $182,933
September 2011 $182,056
August 2011 $178,610
July 2011 $172,811
June 2011 $173,622
May 2011 $171,006
April 2011 $167,098
March 2011 $167,098
February 2011 $165,005
January 2011 $168,645
December 2010 $169,623
November 2010 $177,975

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.