The estimated average living wage in New Mexico increased in 2025, according to data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage calculator. The data, last updated in February 2025, depict an upward trend in the living wage over time, with 2026 housing prices increasing.
This means that for New Mexico residents, the financial requirements to cover necessities are growing, leading to a rising cost-of-living crisis. According to the MIT Living Wage calculator data, the state’s average living wage is $21.01 for a single adult with no children, with many areas like Santa Fe and Sandoval County exceeding this benchmark. Conversely, areas like Torrance and Bernalillo County fall below the average, yet face the same upward pressure. This trend is expected to continue into 2026, driven by federal data showing projected increases in rent costs for studio apartments across the state, indicating that residents will need to earn significantly more just to maintain their current standard of living.
New Mexico
In the state of New Mexico, the average living wage is $21.01 for one adult with no children, and $26.54 for each adult in a family of four. Torrance County and Bernalillo County fall below these averages, although the City of Albuquerque has a higher living wage estimate than Bernalillo County as a whole, according to the data. The City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County and Sandoval County fall above the averages…