Rio Rancho, New Mexico population is 114,419 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #274 nationally and #3 in New Mexico. Cost of living runs 4.5% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $69,989/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
114,419
+1,972 in the last year
Top 2% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 95.5
−4.5% vs US
Albuquerque, NM metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$69,989/yr
−13% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$89,596
+15% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$310,200
+2.2% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,464/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
92°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
57%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore Rio Rancho, NM demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education.
How many people live in Rio Rancho?
114,419 people live in Rio Rancho as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #274 largest U.S. city.
How big is Rio Rancho?
Rio Rancho covers 103.4 square miles of land and 0.3 square miles of water. Its population density is about 1,107 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 9.9% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 104,073 → 2025: 114,419 (+9.9%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
104,073
April 1, 2020
2020
104,451
July 1, 2020
2021
106,310
July 1, 2021
2022
108,626
July 1, 2022
2023
110,608
July 1, 2023
2024
112,447
July 1, 2024
2025
114,419
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 12.7% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Rio Rancho is the #274 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #3 in New Mexico.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
104,073
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+10,346
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+9.9%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+1,972
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+1.8%
within V2025 only
Density
1,107
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
103.4
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#274
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#3
of 105 in New Mexico
What is the median household income in Rio Rancho?
Median household income is 15% above the U.S. median ($89,596 vs $77,719); 7.4% live in poverty — 5.1 points below the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$89,596
US
Rio Rancho: $89,596 — 15% above the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Rio Rancho
$89,596
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Rio Rancho from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
89,596+15.3% vs US
±3,533
Per capita income
41,278-4.6% vs US
±1,624
Population in poverty
7.4%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 2% above the U.S. median ($310,200 vs $303,400); median rent is 12% above ($1,514 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 3.5×, making it 1.1× as affordable as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$310,200
US
Rio Rancho: $310,200 — 2% above the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,464/mo
US
Rio Rancho: $1,464/mo — 36% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Rio Rancho. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.8%
Rio Rancho (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
56,152
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
15.5%+10.9% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Rio Rancho spans 2 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Bernalillo County
13.7%
$72,986
3.8%
Sandoval County
9.4%
$90,023
3.9%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Rio Rancho's linked 2 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
57,137
$1,098 / wk
#2
Retail trade (44-45)
38,843
$748 / wk
#3
Accommodation and food services (72)
38,185
$508 / wk
#4
Professional and technical services (54)
36,460
$2,096 / wk
#5
Construction (23)
24,960
$1,357 / wk
What workers earn in the Albuquerque, NM metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the largest tracked occupation in the Albuquerque, NM metro (16,860 jobs, median $30,170/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
16,860
$30,170
$14.51
Fast Food and Counter Workers
14,510
$29,140
$14.01
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
11,020
$46,950
$22.57
Customer Service Representatives
10,270
$41,790
$20.09
Stockers and Order Fillers
8,220
$36,240
$17.42
Cashiers
7,460
$30,540
$14.68
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
7,070
$35,450
$17.04
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
11,370
$34,160
$16.42
Registered Nurses · benchmark
10,290
$96,040
$46.17
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
7,670
$94,640
$45.50
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
4,210
$55,840
$26.85
Software Developers · benchmark
2,280
$123,700
$59.47
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 4.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 95.5); utilities run 22.1% below (RPP 77.9) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 95.5
US
Rio Rancho's cost of living runs 4.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 95.5 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 95.5
−4.5% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Albuquerque, NM metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,464/mo
FY2026 · Albuquerque, NM MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
5.90%
6 brackets · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$5,832/mo
3BR rent + food + taxes + transport (childcare not modeled — county outside NDCP 2022 coverage) · federal sources Note: family-of-four total excludes childcare — modeled NDCP counties typically add $1,500–$2,900/mo for two children at center-based preschool + school-age care.
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,406/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in New Mexico · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
5.3% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (12.9% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Rio Rancho's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Rio Rancho, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Rio Rancho?
Hottest month: July (92°F avg high). Coldest: December (22°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 10.0 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Rio Rancho from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 77.0–94.4/100 across 2 counties; most-cited top hazard is Winter Weather (in 1 of 2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Rio Rancho from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Rio Rancho spans 2 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Bernalillo County
94.4
Relatively High
Winter Weather 98.7 Very High · Earthquake 97.7 Relatively Moderate · Lightning 97.4 Very High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Rio Rancho?
15 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 57% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Rio Rancho from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
15 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
12
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
60.4%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
57.5%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
44,242
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
In-state context.
Rio Rancho sits at state rank #3 among 105 cities in New Mexico. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Provo, UT · #273 · 114,527 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Clearwater, FL · #275 · 114,364 residents.
Quick travel facts for Rio Rancho
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Albuquerque International Sunport(ABQ) · 18 mi 28 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Apr, May · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Rio Rancho.
How many people live in Rio Rancho, NM?
Rio Rancho has 114,419 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #274 largest city in the United States and #3 in New Mexico. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Rio Rancho growing or shrinking?
Rio Rancho has grown 9.9% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 10,346 residents, including a 1.8% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Rio Rancho's population in the 2020 census?
Rio Rancho spans Bernalillo County, Sandoval County in New Mexico.
How big is Rio Rancho?
Rio Rancho covers 103.4 square miles of land, with a population density of about 1,107 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Rio Rancho?
$89,596, about 15% above the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID3563460
Last build2026-08-27
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Rio Rancho is 3563460. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
