Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo County from the website of the New Mexico Office of the State Historian As of the 2020 census, the population was 676,444. The county seat, Albuquerque, is the most populous city in New Mexico. Bernalillo County is the central county of the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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.Southwestern Region Initial Forest Reserves and National Forests, from a U.S. Forest Service website
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 , of which is land and (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."Bernalillo County Extension Office from a New Mexico State University website
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
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.
+Bernalillo County, New Mexico – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)268,972274,862253,35548.32%41.48%37.45%Black or African American alone (NH)13,70016,29317,8712.46%2.46%2.64%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)19,77626,25830,6283.55%3.96%4.53%Asian alone (NH)10,28914,63119,2261.85%2.21%2.84%Pacific Islander alone (NH)3984695640.07%0.07%0.08%Other race alone (NH)8641,4503,5050.16%0.22%0.52%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)9,11411,51221,8141.64%1.74%3.22%Hispanic or Latino (any race)233,565317,089329,48141.96%47.86%48.71%Total556,678662,564676,444100.00%100.00%100.00%
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. The population density was . There were 284,234 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 69.4% white, 4.8% American Indian, 3.0% black or African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 16.0% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 47.9% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were:
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.
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 . There were 239,074 housing units at an average density of . 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, 25.30% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.30% was from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% was 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 DistrictNamePartyTook office1 Barbara Baca Democratic 20232 Frank Baca Democratic 20153 Adriann Barboa Democratic 20214 Walt Benson Republican 20215 Eric C. Olivas Democratic 2023
County offices OfficeNamePartyTook officeSheriff John Allen Democratic 2023Assessor Damian Lara Democratic 2023Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh Democratic 2025 Treasurer Tim Eichenberg Democratic 2025Probate judge Cristy J. Carbón-Gaul Democratic 2019
New Mexico Senate District Name Party Took office 9 Brenda McKenna Democratic 2021 10 Katy Duhigg Democratic 2021 11 Linda M. Lopez Democratic 1997 12 Jerry Ortiz y Pino Democratic 2005 13 Bill B. O'Neill Democratic 2013 14 Michael Padilla Democratic 2013 15 Daniel Ivey-Soto Democratic 2013 16 Antoinette Sedillo Lopez Democratic 2019 17 Mimi Stewart Democratic 2009 18 Bill Tallman Democratic 2017 19 Gregg Schmedes Republican 2021 20 Martin Hickey Democratic 2021 21 Mark Moores Republican 2013 22 Benny Shendo Democratic 2013 23 Harold Pope Jr. Democratic 2021 26 Moe Maestas Democratic 2022 29 Gregory A. Baca Republican 2021 39 Liz Stefanics Democratic 2017
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: - Text list 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. - also seen in:
Transportation Major highways
Intercity rail Amtrak serves Albuquerque with a station located adjacent to the Alvarado Transportation Center. It is on the Southwest Chief line which runs between Los Angeles and Chicago.
Public transportation ABQ RIDE provides public transit bus service to Albuquerque. In addition to local and express service, it operates the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) bus rapid transit lines, which replaced the Rapid Ride BRT system in 2020. New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX) operates a commuter rail service between Belen and Santa Fe, with stops in Bernalillo County including the Alvarado Transportation Center (the main hub of ABQ Ride) in downtown Albuquerque.
Air Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is the major airport serving Albuquerque and Central New Mexico.
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Bernalillo County, New Mexico
References