Did You Know – March 2024

Sandoval County Children Demographics

According to the 2023 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book, Sandoval County had over 41,000 kids under the age of 18 residing in the county, about 20% of who are under the age of 4. Only Bernalillo and Dona Ana Counties had more kids than Sandoval. In our county, 50% of all children are Hispanic and 15% are Native-American, the 5th highest percentage of all counties in the state.

Sandoval County Children Poverty Rates

The poverty rate for children in the US in 2022 was 16%. In New Mexico, the rate was 24%. Sandoval County children poverty rate fares much better at 11%. . Within New Mexico only 2 counties had lower kids poverty rates than Sandoval County. Yet that figure translates to over 4,500 kids living in poverty in the county

Sandoval County Children Family Employment Statistics

In 2021, about 29% of children in the US lived in households where no parent had secure employment. That figure was 35% for New Mexico. In Sandoval County 8% of children fell into this category. There were 8 counties in the state with better rates than Sandoval. Once again, even though 8% is a relativity low figure, it means about 3,200 kids live in households with unstable employment among adults.

Sandoval County Children Family Economic Well-Being

$69,000 was the US median family income in 2021. In New Mexico, it was $54,000. Sandoval County had an average income of almost $69K, well above the state average and at the national average. Conversely, Sandoval County has high housing costs. In 2021 in the US, 30% of households with children had high housing costs, while that figure was only 26% for New Mexicans. In our county, high housing cost affected 41% of this population, placing Sandoval near the highest in the state.

Child food insecurity is another measure of child economic well-being. In 2021, 13% of US kids suffered from food insecurity and 19% in New Mexico. Sandoval County fared well on this measure. 13% of our kids felt food insecurity, 3rd best in the state. Yet, 13% equates to about 5,300 kids suffering food insecurity.

Analysis

All-in-all, Sandoval County children are doing well compared to the rest of New Mexico and even, in many cases, the US. Before patting ourselves on the back, we need to take a deeper dive into the situation for our kids. Based on the measures stated above we have between 3,200 and 5,300 kids who are suffering in one way or another. Whether it’s high poverty rates, unstable employment in the home or food insecurity, these often unseen and unheard children are suffering. The County can do better and must do better for these young people.

The Democratic Party of Sandoval County (DPSC) is doing its share and more, in cooperation with the Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation in Rio Rancho they sponsor a Feed Rio Rancho Kids initiative that supplies food for needy elementary school children in the biggest city in the county. See another section of this newsletter for more information about that important service.