| Bernalillo County, New Mexico | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of New Mexico |
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 New Mexico's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1852 |
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| Seat | Albuquerque |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,169 sq mi (3,028 km²) 1,166 sq mi (3,020 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.22% |
| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
635,139 477/sq mi (184/km²) |
| Website: www.bernco.gov | |
 Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Bernalillo County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.[1] It is located within the Albuquerque, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area and had a population of 556,678 at the 2000 census; in 2008, the population was estimated at 635,139.[2] The county seat is Albuquerque[3].
Contents |
Geography
Bernalillo County is in central New Mexico, and "stretches from the East Mountain area (just north of the Sandia Mountains) to the Volcano Cliffs on the west mesa."[4] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,169 square miles (3,027 km²), of which, 1,166 square miles (3,020 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Sandoval County, New Mexico - north
- Santa Fe County, New Mexico - east
- Torrance County, New Mexico - east
- Valencia County, New Mexico - south
- Cibola County, New Mexico - west
National protected areas
Localities
A local geographical oddity is that the town of Bernalillo, north of Albuquerque, is not actually in Bernalillo County. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.
City
Villages
Census-designated places
Other communities
History
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This section requires expansion. |
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]
In 1906, years after the Land Revision Act of 1891 provided for the setting aside of forest reserves, the parts of Bernalillo County's currently known as Cibola National Forest were established as reserves.[5]
USS LST-306, a World War II tank landing ship which participated in the Allied invasion of Italy, was renamed USS Bernalillo County in 1955. Sandia Mountain Wilderness was created in 1978 and the Petroglyph National Monument was established in June 1990.
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 7,751 |
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| 1860 | 8,769 | 13.1% | |
| 1870 | 7,591 | −13.4% | |
| 1880 | 17,225 | 126.9% | |
| 1890 | 20,913 | 21.4% | |
| 1900 | 28,630 | 36.9% | |
| 1910 | 23,606 | −17.5% | |
| 1920 | 29,855 | 26.5% | |
| 1930 | 45,430 | 52.2% | |
| 1940 | 69,391 | 52.7% | |
| 1950 | 145,673 | 109.9% | |
| 1960 | 262,199 | 80.0% | |
| 1970 | 315,774 | 20.4% | |
| 1980 | 419,700 | 32.9% | |
| 1990 | 480,577 | 14.5% | |
| 2000 | 556,678 | 15.8% | |
| Est. 2008 | 635,139 | 14.1% | |
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 556,678 people, 220,936 households, and 141,178 families residing in the county, making Bernalillo the most populous county in the state.[1] The population density was 477 people per square mile (184/km²). There were 239,074 housing units at an average density of 205 per 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.
Politics
Martin Heinrich (D) is the representative for the 1st Congressional District. Manuel Gonzales (D) is the sheriff of Bernalillo County.
References
- ^ a b c Bernalillo County from the website of the New Mexico Office of the State Historian
- ^ [1] from the US Census Bureau
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Bernalillo County Extension Office from a New Mexico State University website
- ^ Southwestern Region Initial Forest Reserves and National Forests, from a U.S. Forest Service website
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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Sandoval County | |
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| Cibola County |  |
Santa Fe County and Torrance County | ||
 Bernalillo County, New Mexico  |
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| Valencia County |
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Richard J. Berry, Mayor
History • City Council • Mayors |
| Bernalillo County • North Valley • Rio Rancho • South Valley | |
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