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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Otero County, New Mexico

Otero County has an effective property tax rate of 0.55%. On the median home value of $162,700, that's roughly $902 per year. Median household income is $55,876.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.55%
median tax $902 ÷ median home $162,700
Median Home Value1
$162,700
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$55,876
per-capita $29,760
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$902
at 0.55% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricOtero CountyNew Mexico (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.55%0.55%
Median home value1$162,700—
State income tax3top rate 5.90%top rate 5.90%
State sales tax37.68% combined7.68% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Otero County, NM

Otero County’s effective property tax rate of 0.554% sits just above New Mexico’s statewide median of 0.548%, placing it 16th among the state’s 33 counties—squarely in the middle of the pack. That thin margin over the state figure signals a county that tracks closely with New Mexico’s overall tax climate rather than standing apart from it. Against the national median of 0.794%, however, Otero County runs noticeably lower. A median home value of $162,700 produces an annual real-estate tax bill of about $902, a figure shaped as much by the area’s housing prices as by the rate itself. With median household income at $55,876 and per-capita income at $29,760, property taxes here claim a comparatively small share of earnings. Alamogordo, the county’s largest city, anchors a community where homeownership costs remain below what many Americans face elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Otero County, NM?
The effective rate is 0.55% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.55% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($162,700), the estimated annual bill is about $902.
Is Otero County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.55% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Otero County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Otero County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.