Did You Know – May 2024
The area that forms Los Alamos County was separated from Sandoval County in 1949. Today, Sandoval County encompasses 3,714 square miles of diverse geography and has a population of approximately 156,000 people. The table below shows some of the differences between Sandoval County and the State of New Mexico on certain characteristics.
| Characteristics | Sandvoal County |
New Mexico
|
| Change in Population (2021-2023) | +4.8% | -0.1% |
| Ethnic Origin | ||
| White | 78% | 81% |
| Native American | 14% | 11% |
| Latino | 41% | 50% |
| White Alone (not Latino) | 41% | 36% |
| Housing | ||
| Owner Occupied Housing Unit | 81% | 69% |
| Median Rental Monthly Costs | $1,280 | $966 |
| Families | ||
| Language Other than English Spoken at Home | 25% | 33% |
| Internet Use | ||
| Households with a Broadband Subscription | 88% | 82% |
Observations
On the vast majority of characteristics measured by the last census, Sandoval County is very similar to the State of New Mexico. Where differences exist, in most cases, they are not extremely large. While the county is growing at a fast rate (the fastest in the State), the population of New Mexico has remained static. The county is slightly different from the state in ethnic origin. There is a higher percentage of Native Americans and Whites and lower percentage of Latinos in Sandoval County compared to the state.
There are a higher percentage of owner occupied housing units in the county than the state, but renters in Sandoval County are paying quite a bit more than their counterparts in New Mexico. Residents in the county are more Internet connected than their peers in the rest of the state.
In short and overall, Sandoval County appears to represent “white bread” while New Mexico is more “whole-wheat”.
*Taken from United States Census Bureau Quick Facts report, July 1, 2023.