Tularosa Original Townsite District · Photo: AllenS · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Tularosa costs less to live in than 69% of U.S. towns
It ranks #21 of 72 in New Mexico for affordability. Down 3.5% in a year, 41% 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 Alamogordo, NM micro area ($56K). 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 Alamogordo-area micro earn ($56K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of area income, and 43% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $185Ktypical home, 41% below the New Mexico typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a 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$56K, Alamogordo-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Tularosa, in brief
Slipping while New Mexico rises
Over the past year the typical Tularosa home lost 3.5%, while the New Mexico typical home gained 1.7%. Price trend ↓
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 Tularosa’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tularosa is more affordable than 69% of U.S. towns, #21 of 72 in New Mexico. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced New Mexico: the typical Tularosa home is up 33.0% in five years, against 25.1% statewide (Zillow).
Down 3.5% in a year
Slower than New Mexico (1.7%).
Show as a table
| January | Tularosa | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $97,000 | $183,000 |
| 2019 | $103,000 | $191,000 |
| 2020 | $115,000 | $203,000 |
| 2021 | $129,000 | $228,000 |
| 2022 | $146,000 | $261,000 |
| 2023 | $166,000 | $285,000 |
| 2024 | $175,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $194,000 | $310,000 |
| 2026 | $189,000 | $313,000 |
| September 2026 | $185,000 | $316,000 |
A typical Tularosa home worth $95K in August 2017 is worth about $185K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 23% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Tularosa’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Tularosa home, with $47K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $70 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Tularosa’s typical property tax (0.47% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $1,081.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Otero 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 $702 (New Mexico: $1,731), 0.47% 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+”.
Tularosa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tularosa | B+ | $185K | $151K | 0.47% | $970 |
Questions about the cost of living in Tularosa
Is Tularosa expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tularosa costs less than 69% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #21 of 72 in New Mexico. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Alamogordo, NM micro area ($56K).
How much does a house cost in Tularosa?
About $185K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 3.5% in a year. The New Mexico typical home is $316K.
What salary do you need to live in Tularosa?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $45,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,040 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Tularosa?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,081 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Tularosa?
The median bill is $702 a year, 0.47% of the median home value (New Mexico: $1,731, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Tularosa going up?
No: down 3.5% in the past year and 33.0% in five years, against 25.1% across New Mexico (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Tularosa 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.