Bernalillo County Website

Bernalillo County Courthouse

Government: Five Commissioners are elected by district for
4-year staggered terms. The Commission appoints a County Manager.

Area: 1,169 square miles 

Population and Economy

Bernalillo County has been one of the state’s fastest growing counties, with 11.9 percent growth between 2000 and 2006, according to estimates by MRCOG. Although the county is largely taken up by the City of Albuquerque, it still offers a substantial quantity of unincorporated land and, for homeowners, a variety of lifestyles.

Besides Albuquerque, the county includes the incorporated communities of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Tijeras and a number of unincorporated communities.

The County has experienced recent economic activity that includes the successful recruitment of several employers. In 2007 Tempur-Pedic World Mattress Co. opened its plant with the help of $100 million in industrial revenue bonds issued by Bernalillo County. It was the largest IRB Bernalillo County had ever done and an indication that the county is stepping up to welcome new business and provide incentives. County commissioners also waived $107,000 in impact fees for Shamrock Foods Co. and approved $22 million in industrial revenue bonds for Verizon Wireless to open its call center.

The County Commission in 2007 approved Tax Increment Development Districts, which allow developers to be reimbursed for up to 75 percent of infrastructure improvements through taxes paid by residents within the TIDD.

In 2005 the county opened the South Valley Economic Development Center, a business incubator. The $2.2 million, 16,000-square-foot building has offices, storage, computer lab, store and industrial kitchen.

Bernalillo County’s East Mountain Area is an attractive alternative to metropolitan living and a destination for tourists and sightseers. NM 14 is a national scenic byway known as the Turquoise Trail. North from Tijeras it winds along the Sandia Mountains and into Santa Fe County, and its southern counterpart from Tijeras, NM 337, travels along the Manzano Mountains. One of the gems of the East Mountains, Paako Ridge Golf Club, has been called the best new course in America by Golf Digest and is ranked among the top 10 in Golf Magazine and Travel & Leisure Golf

Geography

Bernalillo County enjoys one of the most varied settings in the state. It stretches from the East Mountain area just beyond the Sandia Mountains across the Rio Grande to the Volcano Cliffs of the West Mesa, and along the river from Sandia Pueblo on the north to Isleta Pueblo on the south. The elevation varies from 4,500 feet in the valley to 10,678 at Sandia Peak.

History

Transportation

Two interstate highways, I-25 and I-40, intersect here. The Albuquerque International Sunport serves as both a commercial and freight center. The county is also served by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Amtrak, three bus lines, and the City of Albuquerque’s transit system. The New Mexico Rail Runner, a commuter line, has four stops.

1970 Median Age (Census): 24.4
1980 Median Age (Census): 28.1
1990 Median Age (Census): 32.2
2000 Median Age (Census): 35.0
 

2000 Average Household Size (Census): 2.47

Median Household Income

1989 (Census): $27,382 (91% of the U.S. median)
1999 (Census): $38,788
 

 Largest Employers

• Albuquerque Public Schools
• University of New Mexico 
• Kirtland Air Force Base 
• City of Albuquerque
• Sandia National Laboratories 
• Presbyterian Healthcare Services
• Lovelace Sandia Health System 
• Wal-Mart 
• U.S. Post Office