Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Las Cruces, NM make a median of $65,580 a year, or about $31.53 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $72,697 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 24.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About urban and regional planners
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What this looks like in Las Cruces
Pay for urban and regional planners in Las Cruces runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $89K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,042/month, 23.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Las Cruces can be a reasonable trade-off for urban and regional plannerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $80K | $84K |
| Santa Fe | $77K | $78K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $107K | $104K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $106K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Urban and Regional Planners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Urban and Regional Planners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137K | +53% | 120 |
| California | $110K | +23% | 7,460 |
| Oregon | $103K | +15% | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $102K | +15% | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $101K | +13% | 1,300 |
| Washington | $101K | +13% | 3,180 |
| Nevada | $100K | +12% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +12% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $100K | +12% | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $97K | +9% | 860 |
| Alaska | $94K | +5% | 230 |
| Illinois | $91K | +2% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $90K | +1% | 160 |
| New York | $90K | +0% | 2,420 |
| Maryland | $89K | -1% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $86K | -3% | 790 |
| Virginia | $86K | -4% | 1,740 |
| Hawaii | $86K | -4% | 450 |
| Vermont | $85K | -5% | 100 |
| Utah | $84K | -6% | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -6% | 1,100 |
| Texas | $83K | -7% | 2,190 |
| Kansas | $82K | -8% | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $82K | -9% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -9% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | -10% | 860 |
| Montana | $81K | -10% | 270 |
| Missouri | $81K | -10% | 440 |
| Florida | $81K | -10% | 2,620 |
| Georgia | $80K | -10% | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $80K | -10% | 760 |
| Maine | $79K | -11% | 190 |
| Iowa | $79K | -11% | 300 |
| Tennessee | $79K | -12% | 310 |
| Michigan | $79K | -12% | 1,380 |
| North Dakota | $79K | -12% | 210 |
| New Mexico | $78K | -13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $77K | -14% | 350 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -15% | 530 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -16% | 360 |
| Louisiana | $75K | -17% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | -17% | 260 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -20% | 210 |
| Indiana | $71K | -21% | 620 |
| Alabama | $71K | -21% | 520 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -21% | 110 |
| Delaware | $67K | -25% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -27% | 180 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -29% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -31% | 160 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -32% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 23.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,093/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is urban and regional planner a high-paying job in Las Cruces?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $66K here vs. $89K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Las Cruces pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $65,580 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,550, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $102,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,359/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 23.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a urban and regional planners salary go in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median urban and regional planners salary is worth about $72,697 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do urban and regional planners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.