Median Income
$108,200
household / year
Median Home Value
$232,900
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,000
gross / month
Cost of Living
93
national avg = 100

Is El Cerro, NM a Good Place to Live?

El Cerro is a small town of 3,244 in New Mexico, with a median household income of $108,200 and a 3.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 93 (US average = 100), which is 7% below the national average.

Strengths: El Cerro stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether El Cerro is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All El Cerro city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 93.0

El Cerro's overall cost of living index is 93.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in El Cerro costs roughly 7% less than the average American city.

Metric El Cerro, NM National Avg
Median Home Value $232,900 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,000 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 83.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $108,200 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

El Cerro's violent crime rate is 569.8 per 100,000 residents — 50% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
569.8 /100k
Property Crime
2232.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric El Cerro, NM National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.0% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 76.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

El Cerro sees average highs of 51.4°F in January and 93.3°F in July, with 11.0 inches of annual precipitation and 5.1 inches of snow per year.

MetricEl Cerro, NM
Average High — January51.4°F
Average High — July93.3°F
Annual Precipitation11.0"
Annual Snowfall5.1"

Demographics

MetricEl Cerro, NMNational Avg
Population3,244—
Median Age40.938.9
Unemployment Rate3.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time23.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)58.5%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino36.4%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1823.7%22.2%
65 and over26.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Valencia CDP (Valencia County), NM 2 mi El Cerro Mission, NM 3 mi Monterey Park, NM 3 mi Tome, NM 3 mi Peralta, NM 3 mi

El Cerro vs Other Cities

El Cerro, NM vs Valencia CDP (Valencia County), NM El Cerro, NM vs El Cerro Mission, NM El Cerro, NM vs Monterey Park, NM El Cerro, NM vs Tome, NM El Cerro, NM vs Peralta, NM

Frequently Asked Questions

El Cerro's cost of living index is 93, where 100 is the national average. That makes El Cerro roughly 7% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $232,900 and median rent is $1,000/month.
El Cerro's violent crime rate is 569.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2232.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
El Cerro, NM has a population of 3,244, a median household income of $108,200, and an unemployment rate of 3.0%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
El Cerro averages 51.4°F in January and 93.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 11.0 inches with about 5.1 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of El Cerro, New Mexico is 3,244 with a median age of 40.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in El Cerro: cost of living index 93 (100 = US average), median home $232,900, median household income $108,200, crime index 132 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare El Cerro side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.