Most of Rio Rancho is in Sandoval County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $32.07 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 3 ZIP codes in Rio Rancho with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,190 to $1,400 a month. At the middle rent, $1,210, a full-time job would need to pay $38.15 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87124 | Sandoval County | $1,190/mo | $37.39/hr |
| 87144 | Sandoval County | $1,400/mo | $45.39/hr |
| 87174 | Sandoval County | $1,210/mo | $38.15/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Rio Rancho needs to pay at least $32.07 an hour before taxes, about $66,696 a year. That is the figure for Sandoval County, where the typical studio rent is $1,040 a month.
Yes. Across the 3 ZIP codes in Rio Rancho with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,190 to $1,400 a month. At the middle rent of $1,210, the pay needed would be $38.15 an hour.
The minimum wage in Sandoval County is $12.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.7 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads