The Town Files

Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

Community in Bernalillo County · population 3,838 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kirtland AFB is in New MexicoKirtland AFB
Household income
$84,884
Jan low / Jul high
26° / 91°
Snow a year
8 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
24.4

Kirtland AFB is a community of 3,838 people in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. It ranks better for young professionals than 100% of New Mexico towns, more upscale than 89% of New Mexico towns, better for cycling than 89% of New Mexico towns.

Kirtland AFB in our rankings:

How Kirtland AFB ranks

Percentile among New Mexico towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Mexico towns.

Kirtland AFB lifestyle rankings vs other New Mexico townsRetirementbottomFamilies11th pctQuiet2nd pctWalkability40th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals100th pctVibrancy81st pctHip & trendy68th pctCollege town49th pctUpscale89th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling89th pctTransitbottomDriving36th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $1,794 a month. 2.1% of households own their home.

Kirtland AFB vs Bernalillo County vs typical New Mexico townKirtland AFBBernalillo CountyTypical New Mexico townHousehold income$84,884$69,473$55,614Monthly rent$1,794$1,144$916
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Mexico towns with 500+ people.
HousingKirtland AFBTypical New Mexico town
Median home value—$187,400
Median rent$1,794$916
Median household income$84,884$55,614
Home value ÷ income—×3.2×
Homeownership2.1%80.1%
Median year built20011984
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Kirtland AFB

PeopleKirtland AFBTypical New Mexico town
Median age24.439.9
Age 65 and over2.1%19.1%
Under 1827.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher51.2%18.7%
Below the poverty line12.9%18.0%
Veterans29.3%—
Born outside the U.S.2.2%—
Work from home2.8%8.3%
Average commute8.7 min24.4 min
Homes with broadband95.5%82.9%

Weather in Kirtland AFB

July highs average 91.2°F and January lows 26.4°F. About 8.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 7.9 inches of snow (typical New Mexico town: 10.7 in). Expect about 64 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 93 nights at or below freezing.

Kirtland AFB monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing48°26°Jan54°30°Feb63°36°Mar70°43°Apr80°52°May90°62°Jun91°67°Jul89°65°Aug83°58°Sep71°46°Oct57°34°Nov47°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.41.40.41.50.50.70.50.30.40.61.61.31.10.90.30.60.90.52.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Albuquerque Intl Ap station (3.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kirtland AFB since 1950, compared with 3 for the typical New Mexico town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 31, 1965 about 9.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Kirtland AFB by decade01950s11960s11970s21980s21990s12000s12010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 15, 1969.

Severe weather in Bernalillo County since 1996

Storm events in Bernalillo County since 1996 by typeHail175Drought230Tornado7Wildfire11High Wind146Lightning11Dust Storm8Heavy Rain16
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bernalillo County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 22 deaths recorded.

Bernalillo County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, hurricane, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4529: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3460: Covid-19
June 16, 2016FireFM-5127: Dog Head Fire
September 30, 2013Severe StormDR-4148: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 3, 2011FireFM-2880: White Fire

Jobs and pay in Bernalillo County

Bernalillo County had 347,440 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,493 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Kirtland AFB itself the ACS puts it at 6.9%.

Largest industries in Bernalillo CountyHealth care & social assistan…53,203 jobs · $57,920Retail35,260 jobs · $39,229Professional & technical serv…35,179 jobs · $109,947Hotels & restaurants33,946 jobs · $26,724Construction22,309 jobs · $70,246Administrative & support21,996 jobs · $46,315
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bernalillo County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Bernalillo 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Kirtland AFB

Kirtland AFB questions

Is Kirtland AFB, New Mexico a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kirtland AFB scores better for retirees than 0% of New Mexico towns and quieter than 2%. 2.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 24.4).

What is the weather like in Kirtland AFB?

July highs average 91.2°F and January lows 26.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 8.8 inches of precipitation a year and 7.9 inches of snow.

Does Kirtland AFB get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kirtland AFB since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 31, 1965. The typical New Mexico town has had 3.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kirtland AFB's Census boundary (GEOID 3536300). Comparisons use the median of New Mexico towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.