Las Cruces, NM vs Rio Rancho, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Las Cruces, NM spends 52% more per resident than Rio Rancho, NM: $14,707 against $9,705. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Rio Rancho, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 88/100 (grade A) against 76/100 (grade B) for Las Cruces, NM — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Rio Rancho, NM carries the lighter load at $511 per resident versus $666 for Las Cruces, NM. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Las Cruces, NM at $1,345 per resident and in Rio Rancho, NM at $656.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Las Cruces, NM at 20% of total revenue, whereas Rio Rancho, NM relies most on charges and fees at 16%.
Summary
Las Cruces spends 51.5% more per capita than Rio Rancho ($5,001/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)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $89 |
| Income Tax | $1,620 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,988 | $234 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,956 | $2,969 |
| Other | $2,152 | $2,308 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $532 | $246 |
| Highways & Roads | $103 | $240 |
| Education | $0 | $131 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $757 |
| Health | $7 | $314 |
| Hospitals | $147 | $63 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,345 | $656 |
| Housing | $3,118 | $2,453 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $94 |
| Utilities | $3,961 | $1,597 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,024 | $8 |
| Other | $4,470 | $3,146 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.