A glimpse into the future of employment in the MRCOG region reveals a picture of growth. The population is expected to increase by nearly 300,000 between now and 2030.  Naturally, as the region grows, more jobs will be necessary to serve the growing population. Specifically, education and health related jobs are expected to double. More schools will be necessary to serve our expanding communities, and healthcare jobs will be needed to care for a growing and aging population.

New Mexico's mid-region is also enjoying strong business growth. Existing science parks are expanding and new ones are under consideration. The film industry is gaining momentum with new production facilities, and several major manufacturers such as Tempur-Pedic, Merillat Cabinets and newly announced Tesla Motors are choosing to locate in the region.

The Albuquerque metro area will see continued job growth. The region had approximately 400,000 jobs in 2004, and 160,000 new jobs are expected by 2030. All employment sectors are expected to add jobs, with the exception of agriculture, which is projected to decline slightly due to the conversion of some current farmlands into residential development.  

There are many plans in the works that will help guide the location of future jobs, particularly to the west of the Rio Grande:

• SunCal Companies has taken ownership of 55,000 acres to the south and west of Petroglyph National Monument and is planning a large town center north of I-40 at 98th Street.
• To the west, at Paseo del Volcan, the beginnings of an Industrial Park have taken shape with Tempur-Pedic and Shamrock Foods as its first tenants.
• To its north lies Double Eagle II, the site for Eclipse Aviation’s expansion.
• The Volcano Heights area plans include a large office campus and town center near Universe and Paseo del Norte.
• Rio Rancho is developing a new downtown to house all of its government offices, a sports arena, a major film studio and a UNM Campus.
• Rancho Cielo, a proposed community to the southwest of Los Lunas, is planning a large Industrial Park.

Sign at Sandia Science Park

If the current climate is any indication of what lies ahead for the region, we are likely to see many of these plans realized. National accolades for Albuquerque’s metro area include: the nation’s Hottest Housing Market (Housing Predictor), Top Place for Business and Careers (Forbes Magazine), Albuquerque as one of the Top Places for Hispanics (Hispanic Magazine), and Rio Rancho was rated one of the Top Places to Live (Money Magazine and CNN/Money). In addition, University Hospital was recently recognized as one of the Nation’s Best Hospitals (US News & World Report).

As national migration patterns shift population to the south and west, the Middle Rio Grande Valley is becoming widely recognized as a desirable place to live. The challenge for the future will be to engage the region in a planning process that precedes growth and addresses preservation of natural resources and the quality of life that make it the attractive place it is today.

Quick Facts

• Half of Valencia County’s workers have a commute time of a half hour or more.*
• Four out of five Rio Rancho households own their home.*
• Almost 7 percent of Albuquerque’s households are without a vehicle.*
• Over half of Sandoval County’s workforce works in another county.*
• Between 2005 and 2006, the City of Rio Rancho grew by 9,400, almost the same number of people added to all of Bernalillo County.**
• Between 2005 and 2006 the Region grew by 23,000.**
• The Town of Edgewood has more than doubled its population since 2000 through growth and annexations.**
• Sandoval County has added a third of its population since 2000, gaining nearly 28,000 people.**

*American Community Survey 2005 
**MRCOG and US Census Bureau