Photo: Wordbuilder · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Clayton costs less to live in than 69% of U.S. towns
It ranks #22 of 72 in New Mexico for affordability. Down 14% in a year, 69% below the New Mexico typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Union County, NM ($47K). 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.
In dollars, Clayton is one of the least expensive places in New Mexico. But the grade compares costs with what households in the area earn, and Union County incomes are lower too ($47K, against $74K for the typical U.S. town). Property tax takes 0.76% of a home’s value a year (New Mexico: 0.70%), and 39% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $99Ktypical home, 69% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$47K, Union County income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 39%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across New Mexico: 50%Census 2020–24
- 28%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Clayton
Prices are 19% below their 2025 peak
The typical Clayton home peaked at $123K in April 2025 and is worth about $99K now. Across New Mexico, values are at or near their high. Over five years, Clayton is down 4.1%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Clayton home runs about $580 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $970. Can I afford it? ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Clayton’s homes were built before 1963, against 1985 for New Mexico as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
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 Clayton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clayton is more affordable than 69% of U.S. towns, #22 of 72 in New Mexico. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged New Mexico: the typical Clayton home is down 4.1% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Down 4.1% in five years
Slower than New Mexico (25.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Clayton | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $88,000 | $177,000 |
| 2018 | $105,000 | $183,000 |
| 2019 | $96,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $89,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $102,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $104,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $105,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $113,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $118,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $112,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $99,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Clayton home worth $84K in October 2016 is worth about $99K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clayton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Clayton home, with $87K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $390 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clayton’s typical property tax (0.76% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $652, 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 (Harding County, NM): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $840, under the New Mexico median of $1,731, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.76% 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+”.
Clayton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton | B+ | $99K | $111K | 0.76% | $970 |
Questions about the cost of living in Clayton
Is Clayton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clayton costs less than 69% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #22 of 72 in New Mexico. The typical home costs 2.4 years of the median household income of Union County, NM ($47K).
How much does a house cost in Clayton?
About $99K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 13.9% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Clayton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $25,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $580 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 Clayton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $652 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clayton?
The median bill is $840 a year, 0.76% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clayton going up?
No: down 13.9% in the past year and -4.1% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clayton 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.