Albuquerque, NM — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Mexico·Albuquerque

Bernalillo County · Albuquerque · population 560,326

Big-city amenities
Albuquerque, NM
Image: Wikipedia · Albuquerque, New Mexico
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64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Albuquerque stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $346,496
1-year +0.9%
5-yr CAGR +6.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$346k$167k$231k$296k$360k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
45/100
Some transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
75/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,460/mo$1,024$1,292$1,561202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent136134100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.8
Lean buy

At a 19.8 price-to-rent ratio, Albuquerque is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
54 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
48 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Albuquerque is a major US metro showing +6.4% annualized appreciation with 560,326 residents — scale plus growth. The kind of city that doesn't need a thesis; the data has been making its own case for years.

Short thesis

Albuquerque's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Albuquerque

Albuquerque is a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, with an estimated population of 560,326. The median home value in Albuquerque is $346,496 as of 2026-04, up 0.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Albuquerque average $1,460 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.4%). The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +6.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Scale = optionality: 560,326 population gives you airports, hospitals, a deep job market, and a real cultural scene.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Albuquerque (Wikipedia)

Albuquerque is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain, it was an outpost on El Camino Real, linking Mexico City to the northernmost territories of New Spain. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTim Keller (D)
Area194.93 sq mi
Elevation5312 ft
Founded1706 (as Alburquerque)
Density3014.68/sq mi
Named forFrancisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Bernalillo County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Bernalillo County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Albuquerque

183 tracked · ranked by median home value
1High Desert$817,880-1.0%
2Tanoan East$800,767-0.1%
3N Albuquerque Acres$701,363+0.2%
4Peppertree-Royal Oak$645,439+0.7%
5Vineyard Estates$632,695+1.6%
6Quintessance$622,206-0.6%
7Volcano Cliffs$620,557-1.2%
8Tanoan$618,755+0.6%
9Thomas Village$611,402+0.3%
10Academy Estates East$609,762-3.4%
11Coors Trail$604,472+0.2%
12Glenwood Hills$599,608-0.2%
13Matthew Meadows$592,464-0.2%
14Eastrange-Piedra Vista$590,105-2.6%
15Antelope Run$577,457-1.5%
16Vista del Mundo$577,430-1.3%
17Arroyo del Oso North$574,983+1.2%
18Four Hills Village$567,105+0.5%
19Nor Este$547,531+0.4%
20Huning Castle$539,022+4.6%
21Heritage East$533,746-0.9%
22Lee Acres$532,654+2.1%
23Saragossa$507,947+1.4%
24Glenwood Hills South Casa Grande$504,819+0.0%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Albuquerque

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
50° / 25°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 61°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
280
~77% of year
Annual precip
14″ rain
12″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Albuquerque listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Albuquerque area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
48%
Dry climate
Median household income
$58,700
New Mexico state median
Top industries (state-level)
Government (labs)TourismOil & Gas

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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