Charley's Automotive Service · Photo: Bill Eichelberger · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Grants costs more to live in than 52% of U.S. towns
It ranks #39 of 72 in New Mexico for affordability. Up 8.2% in a year, 49% below the New Mexico typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Cibola County, NM ($51K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Cibola County earn ($51K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 2.7 years of area income, and 61% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $160Ktypical home, 49% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,020a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$51K, Cibola County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 61%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across New Mexico: 50%Census 2020–24
- 27%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Grants
About two in three renters are stretched
61% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 50% across New Mexico. A standard two-bedroom would take 26% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Grants home runs about $950 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,020. Can I afford it? ↓
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; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Grants’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Grants is more affordable than 48% of U.S. towns, #39 of 72 in New Mexico. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with New Mexico: up 28.8% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 8.2% in a year
Faster than New Mexico (1.7%).
Show as a table
| January | Grants | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $89,000 | $177,000 |
| 2018 | $90,000 | $183,000 |
| 2019 | $100,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $103,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $114,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $133,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $137,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $140,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $147,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $146,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $160,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Grants home worth $96K in October 2016 is worth about $160K 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 5 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 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Grants’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Grants home, with $41K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,020 a month here, $70 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Grants’s typical property tax (0.79% 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 $1,020
Renters already here pay a median of $783, 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 (Cibola 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 $1,081, under the New Mexico median of $1,731, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.79% 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+”.
Grants vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Grants has the lowest. San Rafael and Milan have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | B− | $160K | $137K | 0.79% | $1,020 |
| San Rafael | A | — | $120K | 0.63% | $1,020 |
| Milan | B+ | — | $76K | 0.73% | $1,010 |
| Mount Taylor | – | — | — | — | $1,020 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Grants
Is Grants expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Grants costs more than 52% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #39 of 72 in New Mexico. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of Cibola County, NM ($51K).
How much does a house cost in Grants?
About $160K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 8.2% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Grants?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $41,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $950 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $41,000.
How much is rent in Grants?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,020 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $783 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Grants?
The median bill is $1,081 a year, 0.79% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Grants going up?
Yes: up 8.2% in the past year and 28.8% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Grants 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.