Is Mountainair, NM a Good Place to Live?
Mountainair is a small town of 1,071 in New Mexico, with a median household income of $38,482 and a 11.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 93 (US average = 100), which is 7% below the national average.
Strengths: Mountainair stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Mountainair is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mountainair 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: 93.0Mountainair's overall cost of living index is 93.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mountainair costs roughly 7% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mountainair, NM | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $92,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $807 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 81.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $38,482 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageMountainair's violent crime rate is 375.1 per 100,000 residents — 1% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Mountainair is served primarily by MOUNTAINAIR. The student-to-teacher ratio is 8.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Mountainair, NM | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | MOUNTAINAIR | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 8.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 15.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 67.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mountainair sees average highs of 46.5°F in January and 87.4°F in July, with 13.8 inches of annual precipitation and 14.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mountainair, NM |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 46.5°F |
| Average High — July | 87.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 14.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mountainair, NM | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,071 | — |
| Median Age | 39.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 11.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 49.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 20.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 27.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 30.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 27.1% | 16.8% |