Toledo is a better city to live in since it has more educational institutions, a lower cost of living, and reasonable housing expenses. Albuquerque has slightly higher living and housing costs and a higher crime and unemployment rate than Toledo.
Toledo is a city on the western bank of Lake Erie in Ohio. Toledo has diverse attractions to amuse visitors, including museums, family-friendly activities, and sports stadiums.
Furthermore, the public transportation system is dependable, and housing costs are cheaper than the national average.
Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city and entrance to this stunning area along the Rio Grande, is located in the heart of the state. There’s much of Native culture here, as well as a thriving entertainment industry, filming sites, food, shopping, and the world’s largest balloon fiesta.
Both ABQ and Toledo have similar things to offer to their residents. However, one city is preferable to the other.
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What are the Pros and Cons of Albuquerque vs. Toledo?
Albuquerque is rich in culture and has fresh air, but it has a higher percentage of unemployment and crime. On the other hand, Toledo offers lower housing and living costs than ABQ, but it also has a high crime and unemployment rate.
Living in Toledo
Pros
- Cheap cost of living index
- Friendly community
- Impressive Park system
- Reasonable housing costs
- Public outdoor art
- Plenty of educational institutions
- 116th Best place to live
Toledo’s total cost of living index is 77.5/100, owing mainly to the low housing price. Thus, Toledo is less costly to live in than most of the country; it is also less expensive than Ohio’s cost of living index of 87.7/100.
Utilities, transportation, and other incidental expenses are roughly the same as the national average, but almost everything in Toledo is far less expensive.
Even though Toledo is a vast metropolitan region, most of the city still has a community feel to it, with residents helping out neighbors, striking up discussions with strangers, and welcoming visitors.
The phrase “salt of the soil” is sometimes used to characterize Toledoans because of the city’s blue-collar tradition. It’s a reversion to a more classic American style.
Toledo is home to the world-famous Toledo Mud Hens and Tony Packo’s Hot Dogs and an excellent Metro Park system with an enormous nature path for hiking, walking, and biking!
More than 100 parks totaling more than 2,300 acres are owned and operated by Toledo. The Toledo Metropolitan Park District has eight parks totaling 6,879 acres.
There are a lot of houses on the market in Toledo, so potential homeowners have a lot of options. The median property value is a reasonably cheap $69,700 for those wishing to buy.
Renters should budget around $700 per month, much less than the national average.
Don’t be shocked if you encounter public outdoor art anomalies while roaming Toledo. Toledo was the first city in the United States to spend one percent of its capital improvement budget on public art in 1977.
Toledo’s Arts Commission was so successful that many other cities began similar beautification initiatives throughout the country.
There are various K-12 schools to pick from for families relocating to Toledo. Depending on your chosen community, one of two public school systems will serve your youngsters.
Toledo’s best higher education institutions are The University of Toledo, Medical College of Ohio, Bowling Green State University, Heidelberg University, and Lourdes University.
Toledo ranked 116 among the best places to live in the United States. Compared to Albuquerque, which placed 120, Toledo is higher in rank.
In addition, Toledo ranked 53 among the best places to retire and placed 5th among the best place to live in Ohio.
Cons
- Shrinking population
- High crime rates like ABQ
- Low wages and the unemployment rate
Toledo is experiencing a population decline. The city’s population has decreased by 2.6% in the previous five years.
Toledo, Ohio, is one of the country’s most dangerous cities. In 2016, there were 1,192 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Toledo, more than three times the statewide average and nearly treble the national rate.
Toledo has a 3.9% unemployment rate, similar to the national average.
The average pay is $45,018 per year, which is lower than the national average, yet inhabitants appear to be content with their earnings. The city’s highest-paid residents are those with a medical degree.
Living in Albuquerque
Pros
- The Sandia Mountains
- Small town vibe and friendly people
- Mexican to Native American cuisine
- Inexpensive living and housing prices
- Fresh air
- Tolerable traffic
- Soaring unemployment rate
- Daily Crimes
You can see Albuquerque at the base of the Sandia Mountains. You can see its stunning splendor from almost everywhere in the city.
As any city dweller would tell you, these mountains are nothing short of magical. Their vibrant hues span from pink to purple, green to blue, and they appear to change every minute, creating a spell on everyone lucky enough to gaze.
Albuquerque has all the services, entertainment, shopping, and recreation that one would expect from a large city. Thankfully, it retains the small-town feel that makes it a pleasant place to live, with no horrendous traffic jams, noise pollution, or poor air quality.
Relocating to a new city might be frightening, but Albuquerque is small and friendly enough to help the adjustment smoothly, and its small-town antics make meeting new people easy.
Albuquerque’s cuisine derives from a unique combination of ethnic influences. It’s not like Mexican or Tex-Mex food; instead, the cuisine is entirely New Mexican.
New Mexican cuisine includes everything from Mexican to Native American cuisine and everything in between. There are also some fantastic foreign dishes. If you’re in the Nob Hill area, you can’t miss Yanni’s Mediterranean Bar and Grill.
Albuquerque’s cost of living is 5% lower than the national average, allowing residents to enjoy a good standard of living.
Residents in Albuquerque also spend less on food, electricity, and transportation than the average American.
In addition, the average rent in this neighborhood is frequently lower than the national average.
Albuquerque’s housing expenses are lower than the national average. With a housing cost of $314,587, it is slightly less expensive than the national average of $315,743.
Furthermore, 60% of Albuquerque residents own their homes, compared to 40% who rent due to lower housing costs.
In Albuquerque, you don’t have to worry about polluted particles or air pollution when you take a deep breath because the city has one of the country’s lowest rates of air pollution.
Compared to other cities in the United States, Albuquerque has tolerable traffic. Traveling within Albuquerque is smooth. Although it can become crowded, it usually runs well.
Cons
It won’t be easy if you move to ABQ without a job. Most years, the unemployment rate is approximately 6%, although it jumps when the national economy experiences a setback for whatever cause.
Albuquerque has a higher unemployment rate of 4.3%, whereas the national average unemployment rate is only 3.7%.
Albuquerque’s unemployment rate reached 53,133 persons in July 2020. In the metropolitan region, there are currently 29,118 fewer jobless persons.
The total number of daily crimes in Albuquerque is 1.76 times more than the state average and 2.71 times higher than the national average.
Albuquerque’s daily violent crime rate is 1.73 times higher than the state average and 3.46 times higher than the national average.
Albuquerque has a daily crime rate of 1.76 times higher than the state average and 2.56 times higher than the national average for property offenses.
Albuquerque or Toledo – Which is more expensive?
Overall, living in Albuquerque is 25.3% more costly than living in Toledo. However, due to their high-end hospitals and clinics, healthcare in Toledo is more expensive than in ABQ.
| Living expenses | Toledo | Albuquerque |
| Housing | 29.6% | 88.0% |
| Food & Groceries | 90.3% | 96.0% |
| Health | 86.5% | 81.1% |
| Utilities | 97.2% | 97.2% |
| Transportation | 84.3% | 89.4% |
Data is 100 = US National Average
>100 means more expensive than the national average
<100 means cheaper than the national average
Housing Cost
Housing expenses in Albuquerque are 197.3% higher than in Toledo. The median monthly rent in ABQ is now $1,041, with a median home price of $332,426 compared to Toledo’s median house price of $81,900 and median monthly rent of only around $700.
Food & Groceries
Toledo’s food and grocery prices are lower than Albuquerque’s. For example, the cost of 1kg of local cheese in Toledo is only $9.02, compared to $10.06 in Albuquerque.
Health
Healthcare costs are 6.2% cheaper in Albuquerque than in Toledo. Due to high-end hospitals and clinics in the city, a doctor’s visit in Toledo may cost you $200. Meanwhile, a doctor’s visit in ABQ can only cost you $108.83.
Utilities
Both ABQ and Toledo have the exact utility cost. A monthly energy bill can cost about $142.85 in both cities.
Transportation
When riding a taxi, the standard tariff with an hour of waiting costs $24.00 in Toledo compared to ABQ’s $36.70.
Is Albuquerque bigger than Toledo?
Albuquerque is more than twice the size of Toledo, with a land area of 188.9 mi². Because of its dwindling population, Toledo is less dense than ABQ. However, Toledo’s economy is slightly better than ABQ’s.
In terms of geographical area, Albuquerque is 188.9 mi². With a 942,000 population, this city is denser than Toledo. ABQ’s population grows steadily from 1% to 2% annually.
In comparison, Toledo only has a land area of 83.83 mi², making ABQ twice bigger.
In addition, the population in Toledo has been dwindling in the past years. As of 2022, the city only has a population of 509,000. There has been no increase in its population since 2020.
Toledo’s shrinking population has become a significant problem in the city. However, compared to Albuquerque’s, Toledo has a lower unemployment rate, better schools, and a cheaper cost of living.
Is Toledo safer than Albuquerque?
Both Toledo and Albuquerque are among America’s most dangerous cities. However, when comparing the two cities, ABQ has a higher crime score of 70.66, whereas Toledo’s is 63.60. Thus, Toledo is somewhat safer than Albuquerque.
Albuquerque’s crime index is 70.66 compared to Toledo’s 63.60; living in Albuquerque is less safe than in Toledo.
Toledo has a safety scale of 36.40, slightly higher than Albuquerque’s safety scale of only 29.34.
The crime rate in Toledo varies from moderate to high. Theft, robbery, armed assaults, vandalism, and drug trafficking are the most common crimes in Toledo.
Toledo, Ohio, is one of the country’s most hazardous cities. In 2016, there were 1,192 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Toledo, more than three times the statewide average and nearly treble the national rate.
For property offenses, Albuquerque has a daily crime rate of 1.76 times higher than the state average and 2.56 times higher than the national average.
In addition, ABQ was ranked #9 on the list of the most dangerous cities in 2020. Also, in 2020, there were 1343.62 violent crimes per 100,000k residents.
Neither cities are among the safest in the United States. However, for comparison, Toledo is slightly safe than Albuquerque.
Is Toledo hotter than Albuquerque?
Toledo has an annual average high temperature of 91°F with higher rainfall of 2.02 inches. On the other hand, Albuquerque has a hot and dry climate with an average yearly high temperature of 93°F. Albuquerque is, hence, hotter than Toledo.
Summers in Toledo are hot; winters are cold, snowy, and windy; the weather is overcast all year. The temperature ranges typically from 19°F to 83°F throughout the year, with temperatures seldom falling below 3°F or rising over 91°F.
In contrast, ABQ’s temperatures throughout the year typically vary from 27°F to 93°F, with temperatures seldom dropping below 18°F or going over 99°F.
Albuquerque has an average of 280 sunny days each year. Meanwhile, Toledo has a lesser annual average of 180 sunny days.
Toledo has a higher average rainfall of 2.02 inches, whereas ABQ’s has a lower average rainfall of 1.85 inches. Hence, Albuquerque is hotter than Toledo.
Is Albuquerque better than Toledo?
Both cities have a lot in common. However, Toledo is better than Albuquerque. Toledo provides cheaper housing and living costs, better educational institutions, and lower crime rates. In comparison, Albuquerque has slightly higher prices, crime, and unemployment rates.
Both Toledo and Albuquerque offer lower than the average living and housing expenses. Besides this, both cities have high crime and unemployment rates.
However, for comparison, one is slightly better than the other. Toledo offers cheaper costs, plenty of educational institutions, lower unemployment and crime rate than Albuquerque. The latter is hotter than Toledo as well.
In addition, Toledo ranked 116 among the best place to live in the United States. Meanwhile, Albuquerque ranked 120, which is lower than Toledo. Thus, Toledo is better than Albuquerque.
Albuquerque versus Toledo – Where do you consider moving? Let me know your thoughts below.