Suburb
Rio Rancho
- A-Overall Grade
- Suburb of Albuquerque, NM
- 240 reviews
- Public SchoolsA-
- Crime & SafetyC+
- HousingB
- NightlifeB-
- Good for FamiliesA-
- DiversityA
- JobsB
- WeatherA
- Cost of LivingC+
- Health & FitnessB
- Outdoor ActivitiesA-
- CommuteB-
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$184,600
National
$184,700Median Rent
$1,106
National
$949Sponsored Mortgage Options for Rio Rancho
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Rio Rancho Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Residents
Working in Rio Rancho
Jobs
B
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$63,014
National
$55,322Places to Work in Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho Reviews
240 reviews
All Categories
We've lived in a lot of places and Rio Rancho has been our favorite. We've had great experiences with the school (our kids go to MLK). We've noticed that the police have a presence here in the community which makes it feel much safer than ABQ. Our neighbors are very friendly and welcoming, as well as the community at school. Our kids have been involved in sports and music since we've moved here and they love everything about it. We have tons of parks in a two mile radius, including a dog park. That's another thing, everyone seems to have a dog! I love that. We've also taken advantage of the aquatic center and the library. Those are some great amenities. There seems to be a ton of community pools all over the city. There has been a lot of roadwork and beautification projects. I really believe that they have the resident's best interest at heart.
There are a lot of factors that make Rio Rancho a mediocre place to live. It's extremely large, and if you live far west or far north, the drive to central or east Albuquerque can take 1-1/2 hours because there are no diagonal roads across Rio Rancho. You need to drive at least 20 minutes to get to the closest shopping plaza or restaurant. Stores, restaurants, and professional businesses are mostly national chains. Rio Rancho is completely unwalkable. Most of the housing clusters all look alike, sandstone colored stucco as far as the eye can see. Most of the land is sandy pulverized clay and it's not quite stable enough for home construction, many home owners have had their foundations crack in half due to shifting dirt. You'll spend most of your day driving. There are very, very few parks or civic plazas. Sure, you can get a home at a good price, but it won't appreciate in value much because there are so many unsold homes with nothing special to distinguish them. Choose carefully.
I Loved living in Rio Rancho I'm sorry I had to leave . The weather was beautiful, nice people, very diversified and lots of beautiful places to go within a short drive. A big problem is there are not many decent paying jobs, simply no growth at all. Unless you work in the medical field, have call center experience or work in the hospitality business or no someone in high places you're out of luck! So unless you're retiring or are independently wealthy don't move there.