Bernalillo County, New Mexico Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Bernalillo County, New Mexico, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The estimated population of Bernalillo County, New Mexico is 674,919 people, with a median age of 38.3.

We can look at the total population in Bernalillo County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
674,919
 -0.61% +0.01%
2020
679,037
+0.17%
-
2019
677,858
+0.02%
-
2018
677,692
+0.42%
-
2017
674,855
 - -

Population of Bernalillo County, New Mexico by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
37.2%
39.5%
 -5.82%
Black/African American
2.4%
2.5%
 -4.00%
Native
4%
4%
 0.00%
Hispanic
50.6%
49.5%
 +2.22%
Asian
2.5%
2.3%
 +8.70%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%
Two Or More Races
2.7%
1.8%
 +50.00%
Other
0.5%
0.3%
 +66.67%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Bernalillo County, New Mexico by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.3 +0.79% 37.1 +1.37% 39.5 +0.25%
2020 38 +1.06% 36.6 +1.1% 39.4 +1.03%
2019 37.6 +0.8% 36.2 +0.56% 39 +0.78%
2018 37.3 +0.54% 36 +0.56% 38.7 +0.52%
2017 37.1 - 35.8 - 38.5 -

The median age of Bernalillo County, New Mexico gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 42,721 -8.87% 40,812 -11.54% 39,046 36,298
10 to 19 43,874 +1.09% 42,326 +2.71% 44,332 43,483
20 to 29 49,946 -5.52% 48,429 -5.44% 47,231 45,841
30 to 39 47,948 +2.55% 46,428 +3.53% 49,169 48,085
40 to 49 39,907 +3.39% 41,560 -1.03% 41,251 41,126
50 to 59 42,950 -3.03% 47,021 -7.15% 41,660 43,739
60 to 69 35,844 +4.4% 40,038 +6.54% 37,450 42,708
70+ 27,553 +15.82% 37,498 +9.97% 32,156 41,344

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Bernalillo County, New Mexico is $56,920.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Bernalillo County.

  • Under 25
    $31,199.00
  • 25 to 44
    $60,860.00
  • 45 to 64
    $65,850.00
  • 65 and over
    $48,822.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Bernalillo County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Bernalillo County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Bernalillo County, New Mexico is currently $78,695.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.83% of households in Bernalillo County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Bernalillo County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    21.94%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.34%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    17.64%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.81%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.63%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.82%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.83%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Bernalillo County is $33,670.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Bernalillo County by the total population of Bernalillo County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Bernalillo County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    19.70%
  • Bachelor's degree
    34.56%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.79%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    32.05%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.90%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Bernalillo County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Bernalillo County over the age of 16 is 546,413.

Of those people, a total of 62.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Bernalillo County is 58.50%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 34,653 40.40% 14.90%
20 to 24 years 43,647 77.80% 8.60%
25 to 29 years 49,425 82.60% 6.80%
30 to 34 years 49,891 84.20% 5.60%
35 to 44 years 89,521 82.60% 4.00%
45 to 54 years 80,768 79.00% 3.90%
55 to 59 years 44,850 69.50% 4.60%
60 to 64 years 42,718 53.20% 5.00%
65 to 74 years 67,845 25.60% 5.00%
75 years and over 43,095 5.60% 3.70%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Bernalillo County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 366,051 62.10% 5.30%
Black or African American 15,737 64.50% 6.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 25,834 67.70% 8.50%
Asian 15,110 66.10% 6.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 510 75.30% 9.10%
Other 51,779 61.80% 5.20%
Two or more races 71,392 62.60% 5.80%
Hispanic or Latino 259,052 64.40% 5.30%
Not Hispanic or Latino 222,206 59.20% 5.20%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Bernalillo County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Bernalillo County is 319,686, with median earnings of $37,618.00.

Women in Bernalillo County, New Mexico earning approximately 81.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 319,686 $37,618.00
Male 165,486 $41,359.00
Female 154,200 $33,819.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 32,291 $64,735.00
Business and Financial 17,831 $57,598.00
Computer and Mathematical 10,850 $74,310.00
Architecture and Engineering 9,633 $93,587.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 5,865 $75,646.00
Community and Social Service 6,772 $45,016.00
Legal 5,469 $66,058.00
Educational and Library 22,184 $39,679.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 7,405 $33,167.00
Healthcare Practitioners 23,496 $65,602.00
Healthcare Support 11,830 $20,888.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 4,759 $32,514.00
Law Enforcement 2,600 $62,313.00
Food Preparation and Serving 18,570 $14,502.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 11,787 $21,118.00
Personal Care and Service 8,744 $16,409.00
Sales 30,403 $27,452.00
Office and Administrative Support 36,827 $31,659.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 929 $26,612.00
Construction and Extraction 15,450 $32,482.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 9,140 $38,207.00
Production 8,307 $30,705.00
Transportation and Material Moving 10,085 $37,530.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 17,434 $71,595.00 14,857 $59,161.00
Business and Financial 8,335 $59,876.00 9,496 $56,932.00
Computer and Mathematical 8,073 $78,203.00 2,777 $67,057.00
Architecture and Engineering 8,257 $94,256.00 1,376 $89,087.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 3,421 $82,261.00 2,444 $71,400.00
Community and Social Service 2,131 $42,008.00 4,641 $45,936.00
Legal 1,974 $83,344.00 3,495 $60,352.00
Educational and Library 7,134 $43,153.00 15,050 $37,022.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,589 $40,930.00 3,816 $27,010.00
Healthcare Practitioners 6,555 $77,190.00 16,941 $63,455.00
Healthcare Support 2,567 $27,399.00 9,263 $20,124.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 3,757 $33,490.00 1,002 $30,750.00
Law Enforcement 2,136 $63,590.00 464 $51,053.00
Food Preparation and Serving 9,303 $16,294.00 9,267 $13,410.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 7,213 $23,406.00 4,574 $15,632.00
Personal Care and Service 2,699 $21,607.00 6,045 $14,952.00
Sales 15,690 $33,819.00 14,713 $21,543.00
Office and Administrative Support 10,029 $33,879.00 26,798 $31,107.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 620 $28,089.00 309 $11,826.00
Construction and Extraction 15,053 $32,806.00 397 $27,803.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 8,841 $38,073.00 299 $43,664.00
Production 5,645 $35,610.00 2,662 $21,311.00
Transportation and Material Moving 8,582 $40,017.00 1,503 $30,237.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 277,653 households in Bernalillo County, with an average household size of 2.4 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 161,351 families in Bernalillo County with an average family size of 3.13 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 106,289 16,579 38,483 116,302
Average Household Size 3.18 3.39 3.39 1.22
Total Families 106,289 16,579 38,483 0
Average Household Size 3.15 2.96 3.16 0

Poverty

Of the 161,351 families in Bernalillo County, 11.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Bernalillo County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 298,213 housing units in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 277,653 93.11%
Vacant 20,560 6.89%

33.05% of the total 298,213 housing units in Bernalillo County are rental units. This is approximately 98,557 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 174,391 are occupied by the owner - or 58.48% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Bernalillo County is $934.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Bernalillo County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    4,705
  • Less than $500
    7,182
  • $500 to $999
    48,563
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    31,154
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    9,602
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,162
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    448
  • $3,000 or more
    446

Property Value

The median value of a property in Bernalillo County is $216,200.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Bernalillo County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    10,064
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    6,866
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    22,384
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    37,872
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    52,043
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    33,101
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    10,704
  • $1,000,000 or more
    1,357

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Bernalillo County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Bernalillo County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    9,961
  • 1940 to 1949
    13,028
  • 1950 to 1959
    33,818
  • 1960 to 1969
    30,366
  • 1970 to 1979
    56,081
  • 1980 to 1989
    46,484
  • 1990 to 1999
    45,427
  • 2000 to 2009
    46,327
  • 2010 to 2013
    16,188
  • 2014 or later
    533

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Bernalillo County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    19,624
  • 1 vehicle available
    100,953
  • 2 vehicles available
    100,577
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    56,499

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Bernalillo County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Bernalillo County that commute to work in a particular way.

22.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Bernalillo County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    5,752
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    25,016
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    41,064
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    58,394
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    56,672
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    23,015
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    42,551
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    5,884
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    6,923
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    10,081
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    7,752
  • 90 or more minutes
    4,938

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Bernalillo County, New Mexico in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Bernalillo County, New Mexico

We have data for 25 places in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.