Herman's, Roy T., Garage and Service Station · Photo: Bill Eichelberger · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Thoreau costs less to live in than almost every U.S. town
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Gallup, NM micro area ($48K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 0 sales in May 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 Gallup-area micro earn ($48K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.0 years of area income, and 73% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,130a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$48K, Gallup-area income
- 12%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 4%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Thoreau?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Thoreau’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Thoreau is more affordable than 100% of U.S. towns. The four inputs sit close together, so no single cost explains the grade.
A typical home costs 2.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Thoreau’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Thoreau home, with $97K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,130 a month here, $580 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 $1,130
Renters already here pay a median of $483, 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.
Thoreau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thoreau | A+ | — | $95K | — | $1,130 |
“—” 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 Thoreau
Is Thoreau expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Thoreau costs less than 100% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.0 years of the median household income of the Gallup, NM micro area ($48K).
How much is rent in Thoreau?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,130 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $483 (Census 2020–24).
Neighbors talk housing
What Thoreau buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 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.