Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Las Cruces, New Mexico
A $217,000 home here costs
$1,714per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,116. The real number is $598 higher every month — 54% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Las Cruces against Doña Ana County and New Mexico
| Measure | Las Cruces | Doña Ana County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $217,400 | $205,400 |
| Median property tax | $1,531 | $1,404 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.704% | 0.684% |
| Median gross rent | $946 | $903 |
| Population | 112,612 | 221,665 |
The weather behind that power bill
Las Cruces sits in Doña Ana County, which averages a high of 96.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.6°F in its coldest, with 9.14" of precipitation a year and 54% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,059 cooling and 2,675 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Doña Ana County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Doña Ana County
Full Doña Ana County cost breakdown · Every county in New Mexico
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Las Cruces?
A $217,000 home in Las Cruces, New Mexico costs approximately $1,714 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,116 principal and interest, $127 property tax, $95 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $181 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has an effective property tax rate of 0.704%, based on a median home value of $217,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,531. That is higher than the Doña Ana County average of 0.684%.
What is the average home price in Las Cruces?
The median owner-occupied home value in Las Cruces, New Mexico is $217,400, against $205,400 across Doña Ana County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Las Cruces?
Median gross rent in Las Cruces is $946 a month, against $1,714 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Las Cruces — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New Mexico.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.