AnswerIn New Mexico, a middle-class household earns roughly $45,400 to $135,600 per year — bracketing the state median household income of $67,800.
Middle-class range: $45,400 – $135,600 · State median: $67,800
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates · Pew Research Center methodology (0.67× to 2× median)
Middle Class Income in New Mexico (2026)
What it takes to count as middle class in New Mexico— anchored to the state's ACS 2024 median household income and the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× framework. Most populous city: Albuquerque.
In New Mexico, a household is middle class in 2026 if it earns between $45,400 and $135,600 per year, bracketing the state median of $67,800. That is the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× window applied to US Census Bureau ACS 2024 data — 16.9% below the national median.
New Mexico middle-class bounds
Following Pew Research Center methodology, middle-income households earn two-thirds to double the median. For New Mexico, that means anywhere from $45,400 on the low end up to $135,600 on the high end. Below $45,400 is classified as lower-income; above $135,600 is upper-income.
Local context: Albuquerque
New Mexico's economy combines federal labs (Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories) that pay engineering and scientific staff well above state median, oil and gas in the southeastern Permian Basin (Lea and Eddy counties), agriculture across the Rio Grande and Pecos valleys, tourism around Santa Fe and Taos, growing film and TV production driven by state tax credits, and persistent federal-supported employment at Kirtland Air Force Base and White Sands. Twenty-two federally recognized tribes and pueblos govern significant land and operate distinct economies. Hispanic and Indigenous heritage shape one of the country's most culturally distinct labor markets. Persistent rural poverty in McKinley, Cibola, and Mora counties contrasts sharply with Los Alamos County, which has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
What income is considered middle class in New Mexico in 2026?
In New Mexico, a household is considered middle class if it earns roughly $45,400 to $135,600 per year, using the Pew Research definition (two-thirds to double the state median household income of $67,800).
How is the middle class defined?
We use the Pew Research Center definition: middle-income households earn between two-thirds (0.67×) and double (2.00×) the relevant median household income.
Is $67,800 a middle-class income in New Mexico?
Yes. $67,800 is the ACS 2024 median household income for New Mexico, so it sits at the center of this page's $45,400 to $135,600 middle-class range.
Related tools and guides
- What Is Middle Class Income in 2026? — full guidedefinition, methodology, history of the term
- Am I Middle Class? — interactive calculatorplug in your income, household size, state
- Middle Class Income by State — huball 50 states + DC compared
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use published benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between published cells. Figures are in current-year USD unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.