Oceanic
Ruidoso, New Mexico
Lincoln County, New Mexico · Population 7.7k · 6,749 ft elevation
Living in Ruidoso
Ruidoso has a oceanic climate: hot summers (July highs around 82°F) and cold winters (January lows around 21°F).
Precipitation is moderate at about 22″ a year, and it gets light snow (26″ a season).
Skies are exceptionally sunny (80% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is poor: a median AQI of 61, with about 48 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Ruidoso is an outdoor hub: about 31% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 4,000 ft around town.
Ruidoso at a glance
- Population
- 7.7k
- Elevation
- 6,749 ft
- Average daily high
- 66°F50th percentile
- Average daily low
- 36°F7th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 22″15th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 26″65th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 3,523 hrs91th percentile
- Median AQI
- 6195th percentile
- Median home value
- $229k42th percentile
- Median rent
- $924/mo26th percentile
- Median household income
- $50k15th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.57%14th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 5.9%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 7.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.9%
- Homes with broadband
- 83%14th percentile
- Walkability index
- 8.955th percentile
- Average commute
- 14 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 17%7th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 42%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 7932th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9695th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 34%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 31%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 3,970 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 21°F | 1.1″ | 7.9″ | 253 hrs |
| Feb | 52°F | 24°F | 1.0″ | 5.5″ | 242 hrs |
| Mar | 58°F | 28°F | 0.9″ | 2.2″ | 297 hrs |
| Apr | 66°F | 33°F | 0.7″ | 0.6″ | 329 hrs |
| May | 73°F | 41°F | 1.2″ | — | 357 hrs |
| Jun | 82°F | 48°F | 2.0″ | — | 353 hrs |
| Jul | 82°F | 52°F | 4.3″ | — | 321 hrs |
| Aug | 79°F | 51°F | 4.2″ | — | 303 hrs |
| Sep | 75°F | 45°F | 2.5″ | — | 288 hrs |
| Oct | 67°F | 36°F | 1.7″ | 1.0″ | 287 hrs |
| Nov | 56°F | 27°F | 0.8″ | 1.8″ | 254 hrs |
| Dec | 49°F | 22°F | 1.5″ | 7.2″ | 240 hrs |
Near Ruidoso
- Ruidoso Downs, NM · 2.6k
- Tularosa, NM · 2.6k
- Alamogordo, NM · 31k
- Holloman AFB, NM · 4.1k
- Roswell, NM · 48k
- Artesia, NM · 13k
- Socorro, NM · 8.5k
- Truth or Consequences, NM · 6k
Largest places in New Mexico
- Albuquerque, NM · 562k
- Las Cruces, NM · 113k
- Rio Rancho, NM · 107k
- Santa Fe, NM · 88k
- Farmington, NM · 46k
- Hobbs, NM · 40k
- Clovis, NM · 38k
- South Valley, NM · 37k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology