Measured against area pay, Jal costs less to live in than 88% of U.S. towns
Down 4.3% in a year, 55% 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 Hobbs, NM micro area ($68K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 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 Hobbs-area micro earn ($68K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.4 years of area income, and 31% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $141Ktypical home, 55% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,080a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$68K, Hobbs-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Jal
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Jal home runs about $770 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,080. Can I afford it? ↓
A low property tax rate
Owners pay about 0.29% of a home’s value a year in property tax, against 0.70% across New Mexico. The median bill is $281 (New Mexico: $1,731). Property taxes ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Jal’s homes were built before 1964, 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; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Jal’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Jal is more affordable than 88% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Down 4.3% in a year
Slower than New Mexico (1.7%).
Show as a table
| January | Jal | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $228,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $167,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $162,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $146,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $141,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Jal home worth $271K in February 2022 is worth about $141K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Jal’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Jal home, with $148K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,080 a month here, $310 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Jal’s typical property tax (0.29% 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 $1,080
Renters already here pay a median of $1,318.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Eddy 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 $281 (New Mexico: $1,731), 0.29% 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+”.
Jal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jal | A | $141K | $98K | 0.29% | $1,080 |
Questions about the cost of living in Jal
Is Jal expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Jal costs less than 88% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.4 years of the median household income of the Hobbs, NM micro area ($68K).
How much does a house cost in Jal?
About $141K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 4.3% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Jal?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $33,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $770 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $43,000.
How much is rent in Jal?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,080 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,318 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Jal?
The median bill is $281 a year, 0.29% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Jal 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.