Photo: Davishan99 · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Angel Fire costs more to live in than 92% of U.S. towns
Down 1.9% in a year, 61% above the New Mexico typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Colfax County, NM ($54K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Colfax County earn ($54K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 10.2 years of area income, and 28% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $507Ktypical home, 61% above the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,460a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 10.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$54K, Colfax County income
- 24%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 28%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Angel Fire’s housing numbers say
Most of Angel Fire’s homes are second homes
71% of Angel Fire’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Year-round rentals are scarce: there are 102 renter households. Property taxes ↓
About 13 months of homes for sale
At the pace homes sold in September, it would take about 13 months to sell everything listed (New Mexico: 4.6). The typical home took 106 days to sell and sold at 79% of asking. None sold above the asking price. How fast homes sell ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2019 (2019 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Angel Fire’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Angel Fire is more affordable than 8% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with New Mexico: up 24.6% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 24.6% in five years
About the same pace as New Mexico (25.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Angel Fire | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $258,000 | $177,000 |
| 2018 | $274,000 | $183,000 |
| 2019 | $283,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $300,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $341,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $444,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $487,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $494,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $505,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $503,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $507,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Angel Fire home worth $260K in October 2016 is worth about $507K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 11 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 10.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Angel Fire’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $286K short of a typical Angel Fire home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,460 a month here, $1,430 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Angel Fire’s typical property tax (0.55% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,460
Renters already here pay a median of $1,052, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Colfax County, NM): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2019
No permits for new homes were issued in Angel Fire in 2019. The last year with any was 2018 (13 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Angel Fire's population fell by 24 even though 122 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. 71% of Angel Fire's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across New Mexico: 1.2 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2017 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $8.2 million |
| 2016 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2015 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $5 million |
| 2014 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2013 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2012 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $4.7 million |
| 2011 | 14 | 11 | 3 | $5.2 million |
| 2010 | 16 | 13 | 3 | $6 million |
| 2009 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $5.7 million |
| 2008 | 19 | 6 | 13 | $3.9 million |
| 2007 | 43 | 23 | 20 | $10.8 million |
| 2006 | 83 | 40 | 43 | $19 million |
| 2005 | 72 | 72 | 0 | $23 million |
| 2004 | 65 | 65 | 0 | $15.1 million |
| 2003 | 68 | 68 | 0 | $15 million |
Angel Fire's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2019, so these are its newest figures.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $3,000 (New Mexico: $1,731), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 0.55% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Angel Fire and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Fire | D | $507K | $547K | 0.55% | $1,460 |
Questions about the cost of living in Angel Fire
Is Angel Fire expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Angel Fire costs more than 92% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living. The typical home costs 10.2 years of the median household income of Colfax County, NM ($54K).
How much does a house cost in Angel Fire?
About $507K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.9% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Angel Fire?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $124,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,890 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $58,000.
How much is rent in Angel Fire?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,460 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,052 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Angel Fire?
The median bill is $3,000 a year, 0.55% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Angel Fire going up?
No: down 1.9% in the past year and 24.6% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Angel Fire buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.