Albuquerque, NM vs Rio Rancho, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albuquerque, NM outspends Rio Rancho, NM by a wide margin per resident — $17,237 versus $9,705, a 78% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Rio Rancho, NM edges Albuquerque, NM on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 88/100 (grade A) to 81/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Rio Rancho, NM carries the lighter load at $511 per resident versus $613 for Albuquerque, NM. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990 per resident and in Rio Rancho, NM at $656.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on charges and fees — 11% of total revenue in Albuquerque, NM and 16% in Rio Rancho, NM.
Summary
Albuquerque spends 77.6% more per capita than Rio Rancho ($7,532/person difference). Rio Rancho, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 88/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $89 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $234 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $2,969 |
| Other | $2,174 | $2,308 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $440 | $246 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $240 |
| Education | $0 | $131 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $757 |
| Health | $291 | $314 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $63 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $656 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $2,453 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $94 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $1,597 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $8 |
| Other | $3,209 | $3,146 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.