2004 Land Use in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Planning Area
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Land Use

MRCOG has tracked land use in the Region for a number of years. In this effort, MRCOG is indebted to the City of Albuquerque, the City of Rio Rancho, and the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation who have extensive land inventory programs. The following map illustrates land use throughout the metropolitan area.

In Albuquerque’s metropolitan area, approximately 11% of the land is used for residential purposes and 3% is dedicated to employment uses. Between 2000 and 2004 the metropolitan area developed over 11,000 acres, the majority for residential use.

MRCOG collects land use data in the region and codes it into 18 land use categories. These have been condensed into 12 categories as shown below:

Land Use by Category, 2004

Sources: City of Albuquerque, City of Rio Rancho, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and MRCOG

Commercial includes retail. service, and office uses; Institutional includes hospitals, nursing homes, prisons; Schools includes public and private schools and universities; Recreational includes parks, National Forests, Monuments, and public open space; Other Developed Lands includes Public and quasi public facilities such as libraries, museums, fire stations, churches, and cemeteries; Irrigated Agriculture are lands that have been identified as usually being irrigated lands, data users specifically interested in the irrigated acreage should refer to data published by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture; Other lands includes landfills and sewage, rangeland, drainage, vacant land, and right-of-way for major transportation facilities, Rights-of-way for local streets are included with the adjacent land use categories. Total Acreage is an approximate total, this is not intended to be the official area of the county.

The majority of land within the region is classified as rural rangeland, national or state park land, or Indian land. It is not conducive for development due to lack of access, topographical constraints or ownership issues.

Employment

The development of an urbanized mass in Central New Mexico has led to the expansion of a number of industries that have concentrated in the Albuquerque area and contribute to a growing economy. The regional economy includes:

• A growing regional health care industry
• A significant "high-tech" research, development, and manufacturing industry has grown up in the Albuquerque-Rio Rancho area
• A principal trade center for much of the State
• A transportation hub for rail, air and freight transportation
• The State's largest university as well as the largest technical school
• The principal financial center for the State
• A growing film and arts industry

It is estimated that the region is home to over 400,000 jobs.

Sources: New Mexico Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of the Census, UNM-BBER, and MRCOG

Total Employment includes military enlistment, estimates for self-employment, agricultural employment, and unpaid workers in family businesses. It represents the number of jobs by county of work site.

The following table shows the distribution of jobs in the region by industrial sector.

Percentage Distribution by Sector of Total Employment MRCOG Region, 2004

Government and military employment accounts for approximately 1 of every 5 jobs in the region.

Civilian Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment Rate Total for the four counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia Annual Averages 2000 - 2006

Employment in this table is a count of employed civilian persons rather than jobs as shown in the previous tables. Southern Santa Fe County is excluded from this table.