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Relocation profile · Federal data

Santa Fe, NM

LiveAbility 37.2/100 places Santa Fe #343 of 387 (bottom third of scored metros).

98.8
Cost index (US=100)
$1,685
2BR rent / mo
$66,448
Median salary
37.2
LiveAbility Score

The verdict

As of June 2026, Santa Fe ranks #343 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (37.2/100), with its strongest marks in schools and low hazard.

#343
of 387 US metros · Below median
2,130,256
metro-area population
697
violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
873
schools in the state (NCES)

Weakest dimension: safety (1/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.

According to PlainRelocate's LiveAbility composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, EPA, NOAA, and FEMA inputs), Santa Fe ranks #343 of 387 scored US metros by LiveAbility Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 98.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,685/mo, median salary $66,448; LiveAbility Score 37.2/100, strongest in schools and low hazard.

Signature: LiveAbility 37.2/100 places Santa Fe #343 of 387 (bottom third of scored metros).

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 98.8 lands in the dearer third of scored metros (cuts at 91.5 / 97.0). Median 2BR rent $1,685/mo.

LiveAbility 37.2/100 puts Santa Fe in the bottom third (#343 of 387).

BLS OEWS total employment in the Santa Fe area is 55,730.

Santa Fe vs all US metros by LiveAbility Score

Where this metro's LiveAbility Score falls among every scored US metro (composite placement, not a desirability verdict)

37 Top 89% higher than 11% of 387 US metros

Metros banded by LiveAbility Score (0–100)

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainRelocate LiveAbility Score · June 2026

Santa Fe housing and rent

HUD Fair Market Rents for the Santa Fe MSA; housing RPP 108.0 (100 = national average); 2BR $1,685/mo.

Studio
$1,259
/month
1 Bedroom
$1,390
/month
2 Bedroom
$1,685
/month
3 Bedroom
$2,122
/month
4 Bedroom
$2,231
/month

Santa Fe wages and employment

Santa Fe posts 55,730 total employment with median salary $66,448 against a dearer-than-average RPP.

Median Salary
$66,448
Mean Salary
$69,947
Total Employment
55,730

Top Occupations by Employment

Occupation Median Salary
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $50,170
Retail Salespersons $35,960
Fast Food and Counter Workers $30,810
Waiters and Waitresses $46,640
General and Operations Managers $106,770

Schools & Education

State-level education data for the Santa Fe area from NCES.

Schools
873
Enrollment
305,112
Student:Teacher
14:1
Title I %
0%

Life Score Breakdown

Santa Fe's composite Life Score is 37.8/100 (F), computed across 6 of 7 dimensions (missing dims omitted; remaining weights renormalized).

Cost
25/100
Weak
Wages
63/100
Above average
Rent
21/100
Weak
Crime
1/100
Bottom decile
Schools
31/100
Weak
Environment
99/100
Elite

LiveAbility Score

View full rankings →

Santa Fe ranks #343 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 37.2/100 - a composite of 8 of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →

Strongest dimension: Schools (69/100)

Santa Fe - dimension scores

Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)

score

What this shows Santa Fe's strongest dimensions are schools and low hazard; its weakest among scored dims is safety at 1/100. Default weights: cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.

Source BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · NOAA · FEMA As of Federal data, latest available vintage

Compare Santa Fe to

Eau Claire El Centro El Paso Elizabethtown Elkhart-Goshen Elmira

Metros near Santa Fe on cost, LiveAbility, or wages

Nearest out-of-state neighbors to Santa Fe on BEA RPP, LiveAbility, or BLS median salary, a different lens than the size-ranked list.

Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)

Similar LiveAbility score

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Santa Fe cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Santa Fe wages and LiveAbility inputs follow BLS OEWS plus the federal sources listed in methodology. This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a move recommendation. How this data is sourced.

Verify with BEA → · Verify with BLS → · Verify with HUD → · Verify with NOAA → · Verify with FEMA → · Verify with Census →

Thinking about Santa Fe?

Santa Fe runs a $66,448 median salary at a 98.8 cost index, ranking #343 of 387 nationally on LiveAbility.

  • See exactly what Santa Fe's pay and cost figures mean for your own budget. Salary calculator
  • Put Santa Fe head-to-head against another city on the same dimensions. Compare Santa Fe
  • Abilene is the closest related metro in this corpus -- see how it stacks up. Abilene profile
  • A cheaper cost index and a higher LiveAbility score don't always point the same direction -- here's how to weigh the trade-off. Cost vs quality guide

Cost, salary and score figures are federal-data percentiles, not a move recommendation.