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Buying a home in Albuquerque, New Mexico

In Albuquerque, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $340,200, Bernalillo County's effective property tax rate is 0.9%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $6,287 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,145 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2025 1-year, Census Vintage 2024, FHFA HPI 2026Q2, Census ACS 2020-2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Checked on against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Albuquerque home costs, fact by fact

Calculate for Albuquerque

If you buy

New Mexico state transfer tax

New Mexico has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$340,200
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Albuquerque median value of owner-occupied homes, $340,200 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is calculated on the price. A 2022 transfer tax bill (H.B. 158) died. Who pays: No transfer tax to assign. Buyers pay recording fees for the deed and mortgage; the sources do not assign them by law. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. New Mexico transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: New Mexico state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Albuquerque is $324,600, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. The FHFA index shows Albuquerque-area prices down 1.7% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026. For first-time buyers, Housing New Mexico lists a $101,254 income limit for one- and two-person households in Bernalillo County.

How much homes cost in Albuquerque

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on New Mexico home prices explains the method in detail.

AreaMedian value, 2024 (ACS)Margin of error (90%)
City of Albuquerque$324,600±$6,495
Bernalillo County$324,500±$5,842
Albuquerque metro area$322,700±$5,637
New Mexico$279,900±$4,338
United States$360,600±$618

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077. The 2025 estimates are scheduled for October 29, 2026.

Are Albuquerque prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Area1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
Albuquerque metro area−1.7%+33.3%
New Mexico−1.2%+33.9%
United States+2.1%+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Prices in the Albuquerque area slipped over the past year, after a gain of about a third over five years.

Closing costs at the median price

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, escrow and recording fees, and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose. We do not recalculate them here. For the rules and a worked example, see our guide to closing costs in New Mexico and our page on title insurance in New Mexico.

Property tax and transfer tax in Albuquerque

Property tax depends on your home’s taxable value and on the rates adopted for your address. Our New Mexico property tax guide explains who assesses homes, how the rate applies and how to protest your value. Our page on transfer tax in New Mexico covers what the state and local governments charge when a home changes hands. To see how property tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Help for first-time buyers in Albuquerque

Housing New Mexico, the state housing finance agency, lists these limits for Bernalillo County, effective July 27, 2026:

ItemLimit
FirstHome / FirstDown income, 1-2 people$101,254
FirstHome / FirstDown income, 3 or more$116,443
FirstHome / FirstDown purchase price$566,354
HomeForward purchase price$629,283

The City of Albuquerque’s affordable home ownership page, read on October 13, 2026, lists three nonprofit housing organizations that help low- and moderate-income residents buy a home. The City’s housing page also publishes the 2026 HOME income limits, effective June 1, 2026: at 80% of area median income, $56,250 for one person and $80,300 for four. Programs, amounts and the targeted-area rules are in our guide to New Mexico first-time buyer programs.

New Mexico guides for Albuquerque buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Albuquerque?

The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Albuquerque at $324,600 (±$6,495). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Albuquerque going down?

According to the FHFA purchase-only index, prices in the Albuquerque metro area fell 1.7% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Over five years, they rose 33.3%.

Is Albuquerque cheaper than the rest of the country?

By the 2024 ACS median value, yes: $324,600 in the city against $360,600 nationwide. It is $44,700 above the New Mexico median of $279,900.

Can I get down payment help to buy in Albuquerque?

Housing New Mexico offers down payment and closing cost loans through participating lenders, with income and price limits by county. Our first-time buyer guide lists the programs and the Bernalillo County limits.

Where do I find property tax and transfer tax rules?

Our New Mexico property tax and transfer tax guides cover the state rules that apply in Albuquerque. For the rate on a specific home, check the tax bill or the county assessor’s records for that address.

More New Mexico guides

Sources

Questions about buying a home in Albuquerque

How much is property tax in Albuquerque?

Homeowners in Bernalillo County pay a median $2,629 a year in property tax, 0.9% of the county median home value of $292,900 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Albuquerque?

Home-purchase mortgages in Bernalillo County carried median total loan costs of $6,287 in 2025; half of the 5,490 loans fell between $4,118 and $10,117 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Albuquerque?

New Mexico does not tax the transfer of a home in the sources read. The Bernalillo County Clerk records a deed for $25 per document with no tax line, and a homeowner's sale of their own home is exempt from gross receipts tax as an isolated or occasional sale.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Albuquerque?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Albuquerque ($291,500) equals 21.2 years of the median gross rent ($1,145 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Professionals by sector of Albuquerque

Who licenses each trade in New Mexico

Other large cities: see cities in New Mexico.

Data sources for the figures above

New Mexico · All states · Federal guides