Santa Rosa

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Santa Rosa, NM

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A laidback New Mexico town along the historic Route 66

Desert • Laidback • Lake • Community • Commuter •

Santa Rosa sits at the intersection of Interstate 40 – formerly Route 66 – and U.S. Highway 54 in eastern New Mexico. This compact desert community is famous for its limestone “lakes” and as the setting for the infamous train scene in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath.” Low-lying apartment complexes make up the bulk of the rental market here, and the immediate downtown area is imminently walkable.

Santa Rosa famous lakes are actually sinkholes in the limestone bedrock, the most famous of which is Blue Hole, a crystal clear spot that’s popular for diving. There are prominent Mexican restaurants and the requisite chains, but many residents commute to surrounding communities for work and entertainment.

Rent Trends

As of April 2025, the average apartment rent in Santa Rosa, NM is $624 for two bedrooms, and $740 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Santa Rosa has increased by 1.6% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$0/month
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See Rental Market Trends in Santa Rosa, NM

Transportation

32

Car-Dependent

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

This area is considered a car-dependent area and most errands will require a car.

51

Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

While there’s some bike infrastructure in this area, you’ll still need a car for many errands.

Schools

Santa Rosa Elementary

Public

Grades PK-5

201 Students

4
out of 10

Santa Rosa Middle

Public

Grades 6-8

110 Students

5
out of 10

Santa Rosa High

Public

Grades 9-12

197 Students

5
out of 10
School data provided by GreatSchools    The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Santa Rosa Lake State Park

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.