Live-In Caregivers in South Valley, NM: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in South Valley, NM: the local picture

601

residents 85 or older (1.6% of all residents)

3,760

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (89%)

62%

of South Valley homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Bernalillo County)

$12.00

New Mexico minimum wage per hour

About 601 South Valley residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 62% of homes in South Valley have three or more bedrooms (63% in Bernalillo County), while 9.9% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.5 rooms.

Of South Valley households headed by someone 65 or older, 3,760 own their home and 472 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 269 owners and 16 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

South Valley compared with Bernalillo County and New Mexico

Census figure	South Valley	Bernalillo County	New Mexico
Residents 85 or older	1.6%	2.1%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	24%	33%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	45%	36%	38%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	16%	12%	13%
Residents 65 or older	19%	18%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	48%	27%	31%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$44,500	$56,582	—

Older residents in towns around South Valley

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Albuquerque, NM	6.9 mi	99,291	11,292
Kirtland AFB, NM	7.4 mi	71	0
Bosque Farms, NM	11 mi	906	92
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM	11 mi	1,340	126
North Valley, NM	12 mi	2,520	304
Peralta, NM	12 mi	646	91

Emergency hospitals near South Valley

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Lovelace Medical Center	Albuquerque, NM	5.4 mi	2 of 5	(505) 727-8000
Unm Hospital	Albuquerque, NM	6.1 mi	2 of 5	(505) 272-2111
Presbyterian Hospital	Albuquerque, NM	6.1 mi	2 of 5	(505) 724-8386

Straight-line miles from the center of South Valley. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in South Valley

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.71 an hour (the New Mexico median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,971 a month (80% of the $3,708 monthly median income of South Valley households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,981 a month (269% of the $3,708 monthly median income of South Valley households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Mexico's minimum wage is $12.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in South Valley: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to South Valley?

Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, about 5.4 mi in a straight line from the center of South Valley (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (505) 727-8000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in South Valley?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.71 an hour (the New Mexico median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,971 a month (80% of the $3,708 monthly median income of South Valley households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,981 a month (269% of the $3,708 monthly median income of South Valley households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Mexico's minimum wage is $12.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in South Valley?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in South Valley it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near South Valley

More senior care near South Valley

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in South Valley

More for South Valley families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in South Valley, NM