Measured against area pay, Dexter costs less to live in than 92% of U.S. towns
Down 5.2% in a year, 56% 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 Roswell, NM micro area ($53K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale 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 Roswell-area micro earn ($53K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.8 years of area income, and 54% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $140Ktypical home, 56% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,010a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$53K, Roswell-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 24%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Dexter, in brief
Prices are 32% below their 2021 peak
The typical Dexter home peaked at $207K in November 2021 and is worth about $140K now. Across New Mexico, values are at or near their high. Over five years, Dexter is down 31%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Dexter home runs about $780 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010. Can I afford it? ↓
A low property tax rate
Owners pay about 0.41% of a home’s value a year in property tax, against 0.70% across New Mexico. The median bill is $399 (New Mexico: $1,731). 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 Dexter’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dexter is more affordable than 92% of U.S. towns. 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 Dexter home is down 31.5% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Down 31.5% in five years
Slower than New Mexico (25.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Dexter | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $151,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $180,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $195,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $205,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $179,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $141,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $154,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $144,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $140,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Dexter home worth $136K in February 2018 is worth about $140K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.8 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Dexter’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Dexter home, with $81K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010 a month here, $230 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Dexter’s typical property tax (0.41% 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 $1,010
Renters already here pay a median of $673, 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 (Chaves 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 $399 (New Mexico: $1,731), 0.41% 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+”.
Dexter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter | A | $140K | $98K | 0.41% | $1,010 |
Questions about the cost of living in Dexter
Is Dexter expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dexter costs less than 92% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.8 years of the median household income of the Roswell, NM micro area ($53K).
How much does a house cost in Dexter?
About $140K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 5.2% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Dexter?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $34,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $780 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $40,000.
How much is rent in Dexter?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,010 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $673 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Dexter?
The median bill is $399 a year, 0.41% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Dexter going up?
No: down 5.2% in the past year and -31.5% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Dexter 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.