Measured against area pay, Dulce costs less to live in than almost every U.S. town
It ranks #1 of 72 in New Mexico for affordability.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Española, NM micro area ($57K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Española-area micro earn ($57K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 0.9 years of area income, and 12% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,200a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 0.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$57K, Española-area income
- 12%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 12%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 Dulce, in brief
Rent is easier on renters here
12% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 50% across New Mexico. A standard two-bedroom is 36% of the median household income. Renting ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,200 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Dulce pay a median of $550. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. There’s no Zillow index for Dulce, so the typical value is the Census median; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Dulce’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dulce is more affordable than 100% of U.S. towns, #1 of 72 in New Mexico. The four inputs sit close together, so no single cost explains the grade.
A typical home costs about a year of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Dulce’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Dulce home, with $175K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200 a month here, $890 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, the New Mexico typical property tax (0.70% 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 $1,200
Renters already here pay a median of $550, 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 (Albuquerque, NM MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Dulce and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dulce | A+ | — | $53K | — | $1,200 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Dulce
Is Dulce expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Dulce costs less than 100% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living, #1 of 72 in New Mexico. The typical home costs 0.9 years of the median household income of the Española, NM micro area ($57K).
How much is rent in Dulce?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,200 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $550 (Census 2020–24).
Neighbors talk housing
What Dulce buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. 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.