Mortgage vs free-and-clear medians
- With mortgage
- $2,030/yr
- Without mortgage
- $1,332/yr
- Gap
- $698
Statewide · Property tax · ACS 2024
New Mexico Property Taxes
The average New Mexico homeowner pays $1,731 a year at an effective rate of 0.70%. That bill is 13% below the U.S. median bill. Compare 33 counties below.
- $1,731
- Avg median tax
- 0.70%
- Effective rate
- #35 of 51
- U.S. rank (burden)
- 33
- Counties
New Mexico homeowners pay a median of $1,731 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.70%, the 35th-highest burden of 51 U.S. jurisdictions (50 states and DC).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024), the median New Mexico homeowner pays $1,731 a year on a home worth $248,100, an effective rate of 0.70%. The bill runs 13% below the $1,993 national median. County medians range $305 (Harding County) to $2,717 (Los Alamos County) across 33 counties.
What the statewide average misses
County medians in New Mexico run from $305 in Harding County to $2,717 (Los Alamos County). That range is why a statewide figure is a starting point, not a parcel-level estimate.
- $305–$2,717 (Los Alamos County)
- County median-bill range
- 0.72%
- Home-weighted county rate
- 73%
- Homes in the eight largest counties
County medians come from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024. The statewide effective rate in the hero is median tax divided by median home value.
How small is New Mexico's share of U.S. property-tax collections?
In Census FY2024, New Mexico's state and local governments collected $2.7B in property tax, only 0.37% of the national haul (#42 of 51). Spread across 585,937 owner-occupied homes, that haul is about $4,541 per home - 2.6× the ACS median homeowner bill of $1,731. The gap is expected: LF0009 covers all taxable property (including commercial and other non-household parcels), while the ACS median is a household figure.
FY2024 collections: $2.7B · rank #42 · 0.37% of the U.S. state-and-local property-tax haul.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, FY2024, series LF0009 (property tax), government level State and Local (GOVTYPE 001). Amounts are published in thousands of dollars. This is a government-revenue series, not tax, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for the ACS homeowner median bill above.
ACS tenure & reporting signals · 2024
Mortgage tenure and zero-tax reporting in New Mexico
These sub-topics sit on dedicated research and guide pages fleet-wide; here they are computed for New Mexico from the same ACS tables that power county medians above.
Owners reporting no tax
- All owner-occupied
- 15.6%
- With mortgage
- 5.8%
- Sample (owned homes)
- 283,917
ACS reports what households paid, not approved exemptions. Exemption guide
County effective-rate spread
Published medians span 0.29% in Taos County to 2.00% in McKinley County - a 1.71 percentage-point gap across 33 counties.
Appeal guide for when a parcel sits above its county median.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024), Table B25087 (mortgage status medians) and county tax_distribution aggregates (zero-tax reporting shares). Informational only, not tax or legal advice.
The average median property tax in New Mexico is $1,731/year, which is 13% below the national average of $1,993. The average effective tax rate is 0.70% on a median home value of $248,100. Taxes range from $305 in Harding County to $2,717 (Los Alamos County).
Read the state signal first
What the data changes in New Mexico
A rate compares places with different home values. The annual bill shows a typical dollar amount. County spread shows why neither is a parcel estimate.
The clearest local difference
County bills span a wide range
Across 33 measured counties, the published median runs from $305 in Harding County to $2,717 (Los Alamos County). Local school levies, county bonds, municipal overlays, and assessment practice create this within-state spread.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe median homeowner households reported to the Census Bureau. Individual bills can differ with assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and local overlays. Confirm current rates with your county assessor or a qualified professional before making a decision.
State Average vs National Average
Median Annual Tax
$1,731
-13% vs US avg
Median Home Value
$248,100
+9% vs US avg
Effective Tax Rate
0.70%
-24% vs US avg
Rate-band peers near New Mexico
Nearest ACS 2024 jurisdictions by effective rate (not geography). Each row names another state so New Mexico's 0.70% rate is read against real neighbors such as California and Mississippi.
| Peer state | Effective rate | Vs New Mexico | Median bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Also open California for county spread | 0.70% | California nearly matches New Mexico | $5,124 |
| Mississippi Also open Mississippi for county spread | 0.72% | Mississippi nearly matches New Mexico | $1,215 |
| Montana Also open Montana for county spread | 0.72% | Montana nearly matches New Mexico | $2,693 |
| Virginia Also open Virginia for county spread | 0.73% | Virginia nearly matches New Mexico | $2,790 |
| Indiana Also open Indiana for county spread | 0.74% | Indiana nearly matches New Mexico | $1,614 |
| North Carolina Also open North Carolina for county spread | 0.66% | North Carolina nearly matches New Mexico | $1,896 |
Nationwide states with similar effective rate & median bill
Two PlainPropertyTax-derived comparison paths for New Mexico, excluding New Mexico itself so the link neighborhoods are not self-referential. Median-bill peers exclude the effective-rate peer set so the two axes stay disjoint.
Similar effective rate
Nearest other states by ACS effective rate. New Mexico: 0.70%.
Similar median bill
Nearest other states by ACS median annual tax. New Mexico: $1,731/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Where New Mexico sits among U.S. jurisdictions
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value) across the 50 states and DC, ACS 2024.
Where New Mexico sits among U.S. jurisdictions
Effective rate · ACS 2024 · 50 states and DC
0.70% Among the more affordable rates more affordable than 65% of 51 U.S. jurisdictions
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. jurisdictions. 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. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
New Mexico has a higher effective property tax rate than 32% of U.S. jurisdictions (the 50 states and DC), ranking #35 of 51 for property tax burden. Rate neighbors: California (0.70%, nearly level); Mississippi (0.72%, nearly level); Montana (0.72%, nearly level).
What New Mexico's biggest counties actually charge
Effective rate in the eight New Mexico counties holding the most owner-occupied homes, ordered largest first (highlighted) and together holding 73% of the state's. ACS 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Counties ordered by owner-occupied housing units (B25003_002E), not by resident population.
New Mexico's median county rate is 0.70%, but that figure counts every county equally. Weight each county by how many owner-occupied homes it actually holds and the rate a typical New Mexico homeowner faces is 0.72%, close to the plain median, so New Mexico's larger counties are not unusual for the state.
Top 5 Lowest Tax Counties
Tax Affordability Score
8.4
Very Affordable
Based on the average effective tax rate of 0.70% compared to the national average of 0.92%. New Mexico has below-average property tax rates, making it a more affordable state for homeowners.
Very Expensive Very Affordable
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale from New Mexico's 0.70% vs the national 0.92% - read beside California and Mississippi before treating the score as band-typical. A ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, at or above 2.0× scores 1, linear between. Census figures only, not a recommendation or endorsement.
Counties in New Mexico by tax bill
Ranked from highest median annual bill downward across 33 measured counties. Gold/silver/bronze mark the top three list positions; effective rate is the focal comparison when home values differ.
| # | County | Median tax | Eff. rate | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | $2,717 | 0.55% | $495,800 |
| 2 | Bernalillo County | $2,629 | 0.90% | $292,900 |
| 3 | Sandoval County | $2,296 | 0.73% | $313,800 |
| 4 | Santa Fe County | $2,152 | 0.48% | $446,300 |
| 5 | McKinley County | $1,574 | 2.00% | $78,700 |
| 6 | Doña Ana County | $1,480 | 0.67% | $220,800 |
| 7 | Valencia County | $1,374 | 0.62% | $223,000 |
| 8 | San Juan County | $1,317 | 0.68% | $193,800 |
| 9 | Lincoln County | $1,246 | 0.53% | $233,200 |
| 10 | Taos County | $1,129 | 0.29% | $382,800 |
| 11 | De Baca County | $1,118 | 0.60% | $187,500 |
| 12 | Eddy County | $1,095 | 0.52% | $212,600 |
| 13 | San Miguel County | $1,081 | 0.57% | $188,500 |
| 14 | Rio Arriba County | $1,021 | 0.42% | $243,700 |
| 15 | Curry County | $1,017 | 0.59% | $171,200 |
| 16 | Cibola County | $1,003 | 0.80% | $125,400 |
| 17 | Chaves County | $935 | 0.60% | $156,400 |
| 18 | Otero County | $902 | 0.55% | $162,700 |
| 19 | Mora County | $885 | 0.72% | $122,600 |
| 20 | Lea County | $879 | 0.48% | $184,000 |
| 21 | Colfax County | $867 | 0.52% | $167,200 |
| 22 | Union County | $859 | 0.70% | $122,700 |
| 23 | Socorro County | $838 | 0.61% | $137,500 |
| 24 | Grant County | $808 | 0.46% | $175,600 |
| 25 | Sierra County | $789 | 0.52% | $152,600 |
| 26 | Torrance County | $719 | 0.45% | $159,700 |
| 27 | Luna County | $687 | 0.54% | $128,000 |
| 28 | Roosevelt County | $616 | 0.45% | $135,800 |
| 29 | Catron County | $608 | 0.36% | $167,000 |
| 30 | Quay County | $532 | 0.61% | $87,200 |
| 31 | Hidalgo County | $531 | 0.48% | $111,000 |
| 32 | Guadalupe County | $526 | 0.48% | $110,000 |
| 33 | Harding County | $305 | 0.44% | $70,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which county in New Mexico has the lowest property taxes? ▼
Harding County has the lowest median property tax in New Mexico at $305 per year with an effective rate of 0.44%. The highest is Los Alamos County at $2,717.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average? ▼
New Mexico property taxes are 13% below the national average. Homeowners here pay a median of $1,731 per year compared to $1,993 nationally.
How small is New Mexico's share of U.S. property-tax collections? ▼
In Census FY2024, New Mexico's state and local governments collected $2.7B in property tax, only 0.37% of the national haul (#42 of 51). Spread across 585,937 owner-occupied homes, that haul is about $4,541 per home - 2.6× the ACS median homeowner bill of $1,731. The gap is expected: LF0009 covers all taxable property (including commercial and other non-household parcels), while the ACS median is a household figure.
What share of New Mexico owners report paying no property tax? ▼
15.6% of owner-occupied homes in New Mexico report zero property tax on the ACS survey (5.8% among mortgaged owners). That is a reporting signal, exemptions, caps, or non-levying jurisdictions, not an exemption headcount.
What is the average property tax in New Mexico? ▼
The average median property tax paid in New Mexico is $1,731 per year, based on ACS 2024 data. The average effective tax rate is 0.70%.
Do homeowners with a mortgage pay more property tax in New Mexico? ▼
ACS 2024 medians show mortgaged owners pay $2,030/yr versus $1,332 for owners without a mortgage, a $698 gap. Our mortgage-gap research page ranks this spread against all states.
What is the median home value in New Mexico? ▼
The median home value across New Mexico is $248,100, compared to $227,791 nationally. Home values directly impact property tax bills since taxes are assessed as a percentage of property value.
How are property taxes calculated? ▼
Property taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of a property by the local tax rate (mill rate). Rates vary by county, city, and school district. The effective tax rate shown here is the median tax paid divided by the median home value, which provides a standardized comparison across counties.
Can I appeal my property taxes in New Mexico? ▼
Yes. Every New Mexico homeowner has the right to appeal their property tax assessment. The process typically starts at your county assessor's office within 30-90 days of receiving your assessment notice. You can challenge the assessed value by providing comparable sales data, evidence of property condition, or errors in the assessment. See our guide on how to appeal property taxes for detailed steps.
What to do with New Mexico's numbers
Turn the ACS 2024 statewide medians into a county check, an estimate, or an appeal path.
- New Mexico's ACS 2024 median bill is $1,731/yr at 0.70% (13% below the U.S. median). Open any county below to see how far local bills sit from that statewide figure. County list
- Inside New Mexico, Harding County posts the lowest median bill at $305/yr; Los Alamos County is highest at $2,717/yr. Open Harding County
- Estimate a parcel bill at New Mexico's published effective rate, or read the state's assessment and appeal path before treating the statewide median as your budget. State estimator
Statewide medians average across 33 counties; your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies set the real bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Editorial standards and provenance
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS state-level record for New Mexico. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-09.