Bernalillo County, New Mexico

History

Bernalillo County was one of seven partidos established during Mexican rule; in 1852, within two years of the creation of the New Mexico Territory, Bernalillo became one of that territory's nine original counties. Bernalillo County was named for the town of Bernalillo, which is no longer part of the county. The towns of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Bernalillo were previously the county seats, but the capital was finally established in Albuquerque in 1883. In 1876, it absorbed Santa Ana County.

In 1906, years after the Land Revision Act of 1891 provided for the setting aside of forest reserves, the parts of Bernalillo County currently known as Cibola National Forest were established as reserves.

USS LST-306, a World War II tank landing ship that participated in the Allied invasion of Italy, was renamed as USS Bernalillo County in 1955. Sandia Mountain Wilderness was created in 1978 and the Petroglyph National Monument was established in June 1990.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1167 sqmi, of which 1161 sqmi is land and 6.4 sqmi (0.5%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in New Mexico by area.

Bernalillo County is in central New Mexico, and "stretches from the East Mountain area (just east of the Sandia Mountains) to the Volcano Cliffs on the west mesa."

Adjacent counties

• Sandoval County - north
• Santa Fe County - east
• Torrance County - east
• Valencia County - south
• Cibola County - west

National protected areas

• Cibola National Forest (part)
• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (part)
• Petroglyph National Monument

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 676,444. The median age was 38.9 years, with 21.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.5% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 52.2% White, 3.2% Black or African American, 5.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 14.9% from some other race, and 21.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 48.7% of the population.

96.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 279,298 households in the county, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 299,451 housing units, of which 6.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 61.7% were owner-occupied and 38.3% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 662,564 people, 266,000 households, and 164,104 families living in the county.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213012208/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US35001 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213162540/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US35001 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213012158/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US35001 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

• 27.6% Mexican
• 18.5% Spanish
• 11.6% German
• 8.5% Irish
• 7.6% English
• 3.4% Italian
• 2.6% American
• 2.3% French
• 1.9% Scottish
• 1.7% Scotch-Irish
• 1.7% Polish
• 1.3% Norwegian
• 1.2% Swedish
• 1.1% Dutch

Of the 266,000 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.3% were non-families, and 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 35.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,481 and the median income for a family was $59,809. Males had a median income of $42,189 versus $34,432 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,143. About 11.8% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213013519/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US35001 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 556,678 people, 220,936 households, and 141,178 families living in the county, making Bernalillo the most populous county in the state. The population density was 477 /mi2. There were 239,074 housing units at an average density of 205 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 70.75% White, 2.77% Black or African American, 4.16% Native American, 1.93% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 16.07% from other races, and 4.22% from two or more races. 41.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 220,936 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.00% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.10% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,788, and the median income for a family was $46,613. Males had a median income of $33,720 versus $26,318 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,790. About 10.20% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

County commission

County offices

New Mexico Senate

Congressional

• Melanie Stansbury (D) is the representative for the 1st Congressional District.
• Gabe Vasquez (D) is the representative for the 2nd Congressional District.

Presidential

In presidential elections prior to 1992, Bernalillo County primarily voted for Republican Party candidates, supporting only three Democratic candidates in six elections total. (Franklin D. Roosevelt four times, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson once each).

From 1992 on, the county has backed Democratic Party candidates in every presidential election. While the margins were relatively narrow from 1992 to 2004, since then the county has tilted strongly Democratic similar to many urban counties nationwide.

The region around Nob Hill and Downtown, which includes the University of New Mexico, is where the greatest Democratic strength in the county lies, with parts of the North Valley near the river also contributing. The Isleta Reservation in the southern strip of the county is also a highly Democratic region. The majority Hispanic South Valley, as well as Atrisco and Armijo, which have long been Democratic strongholds, have been trending strongly toward the Republican party, with several precincts flipping in the 2024 election. Republican strength in the county lies east of Tijeras, in parts of the southeast near Kirtland Air Force Base, and for a long time in much of the Northeast Heights region. This latter area showed a Democratic trend in the 2024 election.

Communities

A local toponymic oddity is that the town of Bernalillo, north of Albuquerque, is no longer in Bernalillo County. When established in 1852, the county was named for the town of Bernalillo. But the latter was incorporated into the newly established Sandoval County in 1903.

:Bracketed number refers to location on map, right

Cities

• Albuquerque (3) (county seat)
• Rio Rancho (partial)

Town

• Edgewood (partial)

Villages

• Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (1)
• Tijeras (6)

Census-designated places

• Carnuel (9)
• Cedar Crest (5)
• Cedro
• Chilili (8)
• Edith Enclave
• Isleta (7)
• Kirtland AFB
• Manzano Springs (partial)
• North Valley (2)
• Paa-Ko
• Pajarito Mesa
• Paradise Hills
• Ponderosa Pine
• San Antonito
• Sandia Heights
• Sandia Knolls
• Sandia Park
• Sedillo
• South Valley (4)

Unincorporated communities

• Alameda
• Barton
• Cañoncito
• Isleta Pueblo
• Laguna Pueblo
• Sandia Pueblo (partial)
• Zuzax

Education

There are three school districts in the county:

• Albuquerque Public Schools
• Moriarty Municipal Schools
• Rio Rancho Public Schools

Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools:

• Isleta Elementary School
• Albuquerque Indian School (closed)

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), a BIE community college, is in an unincorporated area in the county.

References

References

1. link. (October 8, 2010 from the website of the New Mexico Office of the State Historian)
2. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Bernalillo County, New Mexico". United States Census Bureau.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. "History of Bernalillo County".
5. "Bernalillo County {{!}} Mid-Region Council of Governments, NM".
6. [http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/about/history/reserves.shtml Southwestern Region Initial Forest Reserves and National Forests], from a [[U.S. Forest Service]] website
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. [http://bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu/ Bernalillo County Extension Office] from a [[New Mexico State University]] website
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
16. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
18. (January 15, 2025). "An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2024 Election". The New York Times.
19. (May 8, 1905). "Bernalillo is now the county seat". Santa Fe New Mexican.
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bernalillo County, NM". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
21. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Albuquerque city, NM". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].