Carlsbad, NM housing market
The typical Carlsbad home is worth about $257,000, up 2.2% in a year, 19% below the New Mexico typical home. Homes typically sell in 48 days.
Home values, sales, trends and how Carlsbad compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Carlsbad at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.3 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Carlsbad | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $225,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $199,000 | $184,000 |
| 2019 | $215,000 | $193,000 |
| 2020 | $240,000 | $205,000 |
| 2021 | $269,000 | $229,000 |
| 2022 | $267,000 | $263,000 |
| 2023 | $248,000 | $287,000 |
| 2024 | $244,000 | $302,000 |
| 2025 | $257,000 | $313,000 |
| 2026 | $254,000 | $315,000 |
| August 2026 | $257,000 | $318,000 |
220 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 220 new homes in Carlsbad in 2025: 162 single-family houses and 58 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $63 million to build. That's 6.9 per 1,000 residents, faster than across New Mexico (5.2). Over the past 10 years, Carlsbad has permitted 2,028 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Carlsbad gained 6,100 residents while 2,061 new homes were permitted: about 3 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across New Mexico: 1.2 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 193 | 101 | 92 | $48.6 million |
| 2025 | 220 | 162 | 58 | $63 million |
| 2024 | 127 | 127 | 0 | $46.1 million |
| 2023 | 237 | 143 | 94 | $51.8 million |
| 2022 | 101 | 97 | 4 | $21.6 million |
| 2021 | 86 | 83 | 3 | $18.8 million |
| 2020 | 398 | 138 | 260 | $60.3 million |
| 2019 | 213 | 192 | 21 | $55.7 million |
| 2018 | 244 | 138 | 106 | $34.9 million |
| 2017 | 125 | 125 | 0 | $22 million |
| 2016 | 277 | 73 | 204 | $25.6 million |
| 2015 | 121 | 121 | 0 | $19.9 million |
| 2014 | 290 | 118 | 172 | $34.3 million |
| 2013 | 108 | 108 | 0 | $17.3 million |
| 2012 | 358 | 86 | 272 | $34 million |
| 2011 | 272 | 48 | 224 | $24.1 million |
| 2010 | 53 | 53 | 0 | $8 million |
| 2009 | 31 | 31 | 0 | $4 million |
| 2008 | 62 | 55 | 7 | $9.2 million |
| 2007 | 67 | 67 | 0 | $10.5 million |
| 2006 | 59 | 59 | 0 | $8.1 million |
| 2005 | 39 | 39 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2004 | 52 | 52 | 0 | $6.2 million |
| 2003 | 55 | 55 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2002 | 40 | 40 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2001 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2000 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $3 million |
How Carlsbad ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Carlsbad and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad | $257K | +2.2% | $1,230 | 220 | $72,306 |
| La Huerta | — | +5.4%† | $1,230 | — | $78,861 |
| Livingston Wheeler | — | +5.4%† | $1,230 | — | $79,329 |
| Happy Valley | — | +5.4%† | $1,230 | — | $62,215 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Carlsbad home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, less than across New Mexico (5 years).
How Carlsbad ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,230
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Carlsbad is $1,230 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Carlsbad pay a median of $1,236. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,070 · 4 bedrooms $1,680
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (88220; Eddy County, NM), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Carlsbad
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.