McKinley County, New Mexico property tax
The median homeowner in McKinley County, New Mexico pays $1,362 a year in property tax on a home worth $72,100, an effective rate of 1.89%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.89%, McKinley County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. That combination is the usual one. Houses here are worth $72,100 against a national $303,400, and a smaller tax base has to be taxed at a higher percentage to fund the same schools and roads. Whether the state also leans on property tax by choice, as several do in place of an income tax, is a separate question the rate alone cannot answer.
Inside New Mexico it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #1 of 26, against a statewide 0.72%. At the other end of the same state, Taos County charges 0.33%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 1.62 times the median household income of $44,496, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 68.8% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 71,172 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| McKinley County | New Mexico | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.89% | 0.72% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,362 | $1,669 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $72,100 | $232,200 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $810 | $1,021 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $44,496 | $62,125 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 1.62× | 3.74× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.84% | 19.72% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 68.8% | 69.34% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 71,172.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lea County | 0.47% | $824 | $176,000 |
| Otero County | 0.56% | $841 | $149,500 |
| Valencia County | 0.66% | $1,365 | $206,800 |
| Chaves County | 0.64% | $915 | $141,900 |
| Eddy County | 0.50% | $995 | $199,400 |
McKinley County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in McKinley County, New Mexico?
The effective rate is 1.89% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,362 against a median home value of $72,100. That is 0.91 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in McKinley County?
Roughly $7,560 a year at the county effective rate of 1.89%.
Is McKinley County expensive compared with the rest of New Mexico?
It ranks #1 of 26 New Mexico counties by effective property tax rate, and #122 of 2,826 nationally. That is 1.17 points above the New Mexico average of 0.72%.
What does housing cost in McKinley County?
The median home is worth $72,100 and median gross rent is $810 a month. Median household income is $44,496, which puts the home at 1.62 times annual income and rent at 21.84% of it.