Housing data for Ruidoso Downs, NM
Ruidoso Downs, NM has an estimated 2,655 residents and 1,487 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lincoln County.
37.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $936 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+3.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,655 (±17)
- Housing units
- 1,487 (±209)
- Households that rent
- 37.0%
- Median gross rent
- $936
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +3.2%
What stands out in Ruidoso Downs
Rental vacancy rate: 0.0% (±9.0 points) in Ruidoso Downs, lower than in Lincoln County (15.5%).
Working from home: 0.4% (±1.1 points) in Ruidoso Downs, lower than in Lincoln County (11.1%).
Median household income: $31,354 (±$17,966) in Ruidoso Downs, lower than in Lincoln County ($53,303).
Average commute: 12.8 minutes (±3.4) in Ruidoso Downs, lower than in Lincoln County (20.0 minutes).
Housing in Ruidoso Downs at a glance
- Median rent: $936 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 70.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 37.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $31,354 median household income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $154,000 median home value (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Homeowner costs: $1,115 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Types of homes: 6.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Bedrooms: 62.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 45.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 69.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 12.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +3.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 22.5% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Ruidoso Downs against Lincoln County, its state and the nation
| Ruidoso Downs | Lincoln County | New Mexico | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,655 (±17) | 20,224 (exact) | 2,120,246 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,487 (±209) | 17,871 (±27) | 956,964 (±262) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 37.0% (±14.8 points) | 23.2% (±3.9 points) | 30.0% (±0.4 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $936 (±$180) | $956 (±$68) | $1,067 (±$11) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $31,354 (±$17,966) | $53,303 (±$2,293) | $64,059 (±$808) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $154,000 (±$105,158) | $233,200 (±$22,920) | $248,100 (±$1,957) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $1,246 (±$128) | $1,731 (±$19) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 45.4% (±19.4 points) | 39.4% (±4.0 points) | 42.7% (±0.5 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 12.8 minutes (±3.4) | 20.0 minutes (±2.3) | 23.5 minutes (±0.3) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 80.7% (±10.5 points) | 84.7% (±2.9 points) | 86.5% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 38.4 years (±12.5) | 52.4 years (±0.5) | 39.4 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Ruidoso Downs covers 3.8 square miles of land, about 701 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Ruidoso Downs has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,573 (±15) | 2,655 (±17) | +3.2% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 1,245 (±236) | 1,487 (±209) | +19.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $522 (±$328) | $936 (±$180) | +79.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $130,900 (±$50,867) | $154,000 (±$105,158) | +17.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $28,646 (±$10,669) | $31,354 (±$17,966) | +9.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $671 (±$520) | $1,115 (±$25) | +66.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 53.2% (±16.6 points) | 37.0% (±14.8 points) | −16.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 22.7% (±17.7 points) | 0.0% (±9.0 points) | −22.7 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Places near Ruidoso Downs
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruidoso | 4.3 mi | $944 | $243,800 | 31.6% |
| Capitan | 14 mi | — | $111,700 | 6.3% |
| Carrizozo | 26 mi | $611 | $84,700 | 10.5% |
| Cloudcroft | 27 mi | — | $234,800 | 15.8% |
| High Rolls | 30 mi | — | $257,600 | 2.0% |
| Tularosa | 30 mi | $1,081 | $150,600 | 18.6% |
| La Luz | 32 mi | $765 | $68,100 | 23.9% |
| Alamogordo | 38 mi | $902 | $172,900 | 38.4% |
Places in New Mexico most like Ruidoso Downs
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truth or Consequences | $714 | $124,600 | $33,788 | 41.8% |
| Socorro | $711 | $152,900 | $39,375 | 42.7% |
| Santa Rosa | $727 | $111,600 | $48,789 | 33.2% |
| Ruidoso | $944 | $243,800 | $52,736 | 31.6% |
| Alamogordo | $902 | $172,900 | $55,952 | 38.4% |
| Grants | $783 | $136,500 | $47,183 | 40.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across New Mexico.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Ruidoso Downs, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $834 | $839 | $1,063 | $1,355 | $1,667 |
HUD income limits for Ruidoso Downs, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $25,850 | $41,350 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $29,550 | $47,250 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $33,250 | $53,150 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $36,900 | $59,050 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $39,900 | $63,800 |
| 6 people | $42,850 | $42,850 | $68,500 |
| 7 people | $45,800 | $45,800 | $73,250 |
| 8 people | $48,750 | $48,750 | $77,950 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lincoln County, NM, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $73,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Ruidoso Downs
What is the average rent in Ruidoso Downs, NM?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Ruidoso Downs is $936 (±$180) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in Ruidoso Downs rent-burdened?
70.8% of renting households in Ruidoso Downs pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Ruidoso Downs?
Ruidoso Downs has an estimated 450 (±171) renting households, 37.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Ruidoso Downs?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Ruidoso Downs, NM is $1,115 (±$25) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
What is the most common home size in Ruidoso Downs?
The most common size is 3 bedrooms, 47.6% of homes in Ruidoso Downs, NM.
How old are most homes in Ruidoso Downs?
45.4% of homes in Ruidoso Downs, NM were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Ruidoso Downs growing?
In Ruidoso Downs, the number of residents went from 2,573 in 2015–2019 to 2,655 in 2020–2024 (+3.2%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lincoln County, NM
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lincoln County, NM
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Ruidoso Downs city, New Mexico (place:65280, in state:35).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .