Bernalillo County, New Mexico Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bernalillo County, NM Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in New Mexico
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C
Income Below averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in New Mexico
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 672,163 | 2,118,085 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 575.9 | 17.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.05% | 0.20% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 38.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 284,605 | 836,644 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bernalillo County grew by 7.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 672,163 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bernalillo County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.1% of residents. That is 1.7 points above New Mexico as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 142,070 21.1% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 155,069 23.1% +1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 130,134 19.4% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 116,344 17.3% -1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Mexico, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Bernalillo County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% New Mexico 50.5%
- Men 49.1% New Mexico 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bernalillo County
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Economy
Bernalillo County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,651 | $64,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.48% | 4.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bernalillo County is about 8% higher than in New Mexico.
Housing
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $260,969 | $204,122 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,145 | $1,067 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bernalillo County is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,145 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bernalillo County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 174 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.9 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.8 | 37.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 174 | 157 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,394 | $4,866 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.9% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,856 | 4,931 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,643 | 619 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Mexico:
De Baca County (7.9 min), Quay County (8.0 min), Union County (8.3 min).
Slowest:
Torrance County (36.5 min), Mora County (30.1 min), Valencia County (30.1 min).
The average commute time in Bernalillo County is 21 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in New Mexico.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bernalillo County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 26.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Mexico:
Los Alamos County (0.6), Santa Fe County (0.4), Bernalillo County (0.3).
Lowest:
Guadalupe County (0.2), Luna County (0.2), McKinley County (0.2).
Health
Bernalillo County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bernalillo County | New Mexico Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.8% | 18.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Mexico:
Los Alamos County (0.8), Santa Fe County (0.8), Bernalillo County (0.8).
Lowest:
McKinley County (0.8), Cibola County (0.8), Luna County (0.8).
Bernalillo County, NM Compared With Nearby Counties
Bernalillo County, NM is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 672,163 residents against a local median of 153,584. Bernalillo County, NM's commute, at 20.9 min, runs 30% below the 30.0 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.5 min on commute, so Bernalillo County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bernalillo County, NM has the 2nd lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernalillo County, NM | 672,163 | $69,651 #3/4 | $260,969 #3/4 | 20.9 min #2/4 |
| Valencia County, NM | 78,461 | $59,334 | $140,798 | 30.1 min |
| Sandoval County, NM | 153,584 | $85,813 | $302,768 | 30.0 min |
| Santa Fe County, NM | 155,407 | $79,204 | $448,701 | 20.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
How many people live in Bernalillo County, New Mexico?
About 672,163 people live in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, in 284,605 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Bernalillo County, New Mexico urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bernalillo County, New Mexico has 576 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bernalillo County, New Mexico?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($260,969 against $69,651), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,145 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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