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.[1] Bernalillo County was named for the town of Bernalillo, which is no longer part of the county.[4] The towns of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Bernalillo were previously the county seats, but the capital was finally established in Albuquerque in 1883.[5] In 1876, it absorbed Santa Ana County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,167 square miles (3,020km2), of which 1,161 square miles (3,010km2) is land and 6.4 square miles (17km2) (0.5%) is water.[7] 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."[8]
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010–2019[2]
Median household income by census tract block group across Albuquerque metro
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.[13]
Bernalillo County, New Mexico – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
96.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.0% lived in rural areas.[18]
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%.[13]
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 662,564people, 266,000households, and 164,104families living in the county.[19] The population density was 570.8 inhabitantsper square mile (220.4 inhabitants/km2). There were 284,234 housing units at an average density of 244.9 unitsper square mile (94.6 units/km2).[20] 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.[19] The largest ancestry groups were:[21]
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 266,000households, 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.[19]
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.[22]
2000 census
As of the census[23] 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.[1] The population density was 477 inhabitantsper square mile (184 inhabitants/km2). There were 239,074 housing units at an average density of 205 unitsper square mile (79/km2). 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.
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.[24]
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.[4][25]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States
New Mexico 
