Median Income
$28,939
household / year
Median Home Value
$54,400
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$765
gross / month
Cost of Living
86
national avg = 100

Is Ruidoso Downs, NM a Good Place to Live?

Ruidoso Downs is a small town of 2,635 in New Mexico, with a median household income of $28,939 and a 2.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.

Strengths: Ruidoso Downs 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 Ruidoso Downs is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Ruidoso Downs 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: 86.0

Ruidoso Downs's overall cost of living index is 86.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ruidoso Downs costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.

Metric Ruidoso Downs, NM National Avg
Median Home Value $54,400 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $765 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 63.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $28,939 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Ruidoso Downs is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Metric Ruidoso Downs, 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 10.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 84.4% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ruidoso Downs sees average highs of 48.8°F in January and 81.2°F in July, with 22.0 inches of annual precipitation and 26.2 inches of snow per year.

MetricRuidoso Downs, NM
Average High — January48.8°F
Average High — July81.2°F
Annual Precipitation22.0"
Annual Snowfall26.2"

Demographics

MetricRuidoso Downs, NMNational Avg
Population2,635—
Median Age35.938.9
Unemployment Rate2.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time19.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)56.2%59.3%
Black or African American2.7%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino32.2%18.9%
Asian0.7%6.3%
Under 1819.5%22.2%
65 and over27.5%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Ruidoso, NM 4 mi Capitan, NM 14 mi Nogal, NM 16 mi Mescalero, NM 18 mi Bent, NM 21 mi

ZIP Codes in Ruidoso Downs

Ruidoso Downs, NM is covered by 1 ZIP code:

88346

Ruidoso Downs vs Other Cities

Ruidoso Downs, NM vs Ruidoso, NM Ruidoso Downs, NM vs Capitan, NM Ruidoso Downs, NM vs Nogal, NM Ruidoso Downs, NM vs Mescalero, NM Ruidoso Downs, NM vs Bent, NM

Frequently Asked Questions

Ruidoso Downs's cost of living index is 86, where 100 is the national average. That makes Ruidoso Downs roughly 14% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $54,400 and median rent is $765/month.
Crime data for Ruidoso Downs is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Ruidoso Downs, NM has a population of 2,635, a median household income of $28,939, and an unemployment rate of 2.0%. 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.
Ruidoso Downs averages 48.8°F in January and 81.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 22.0 inches with about 26.2 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Ruidoso Downs, NM is covered by 1 ZIP code: 88346.
The population of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico is 2,635 with a median age of 35.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ruidoso Downs: cost of living index 86 (100 = US average), median home $54,400, median household income $28,939. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ruidoso Downs side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.