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Buying a home in La Plata, New Mexico

The typical owner-occupied home in La Plata is worth about $210,000, 15% below the New Mexico median of $248,100 and 37% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,491 a year in property taxes, about 0.71% of their home's value, close to the New Mexico rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $57,071 a year, so the median home costs 3.7 times the median income (3.9 times for New Mexico). 83% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 35% of those owners still have a mortgage.

La Plata at a glance

La Plata New Mexico U.S.
Median home value $210,000 $248,100 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,491 $1,731 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.71% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $57,071 $64,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 83% 70% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 35% 52% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,317 $1,564 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.7% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $938 $1,067 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 25.6% 30.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1990 1985 1980
Vacant homes 10.4% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 2,233 2,120,246 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in La Plata

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median La Plata home of $210,000 with 20% down costs about $1,342 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,692, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $57,510 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 28% of the median La Plata household income of $57,071; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $208,000.

The median rent here is $938 a month, so owning the median home costs about $404 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$42,000
Loan amount$168,000
Principal and interest$1,130
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$124
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$88
PMI$0
Total per month$1,342

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,350
Loan amount$206,196
Principal and interest$1,387
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$124
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$88
FHA mortgage insurance$93
Total per month$1,692

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Questions about home buying in La Plata

What is the median home value in La Plata?

About $210,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in La Plata?

Homeowners pay a median $1,491 a year, which is about 0.71% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in La Plata?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,342 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $57,510 a year.

More about La Plata

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data