Measured against area pay, Bayard costs less to live in than 73% of U.S. towns
Down 7.7% in a year, 65% below the New Mexico typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Silver City, NM micro area ($45K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 0 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Silver City-area micro earn ($45K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.6 years of area income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $111Ktypical home, 65% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $980a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$45K, Silver City-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 47%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across New Mexico: 50%Census 2020–24
- 9%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Bayard, in brief
Prices are 29% below their 2023 peak
The typical Bayard home peaked at $156K in June 2023 and is worth about $111K now. Across New Mexico, values are at or near their high. Over five years, Bayard is down 13%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Bayard home runs about $630 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $980. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Bayard’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bayard is more affordable than 73% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged New Mexico: the typical Bayard home is down 13.0% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Down 13% in five years
Slower than New Mexico (25.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Bayard | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $77,000 | $177,000 |
| 2018 | $86,000 | $183,000 |
| 2019 | $102,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $94,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $117,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $128,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $142,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $140,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $131,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $114,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $111,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Bayard home worth $74K in October 2016 is worth about $111K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Bayard’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Bayard home, with $74K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980 a month here, $350 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Bayard’s typical property tax (0.51% 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 $980
Renters already here pay a median of $716, 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 (Grant County, NM): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the New Mexico norm
The median bill is $606 (New Mexico: $1,731), 0.51% of a home’s value 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+”.
Bayard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayard | B+ | $111K | $118K | 0.51% | $980 |
Questions about the cost of living in Bayard
Is Bayard expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bayard costs less than 73% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.6 years of the median household income of the Silver City, NM micro area ($45K).
How much does a house cost in Bayard?
About $111K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 7.7% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Bayard?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $27,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $630 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Bayard?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $980 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $716 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Bayard?
The median bill is $606 a year, 0.51% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Bayard going up?
No: down 7.7% in the past year and -13.0% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Bayard 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. 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.