1. Cities of the United States
  2. The West
  3. New Mexico

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Las Cruces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Santa Fe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

New Mexico

The State in Brief

Nickname: Land of Enchantment

Motto: Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes)

Flower: Yucca

Bird: Roadrunner

Area: 121,589 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 5th)

Elevation: Ranges from 2,842 feet to 13,161 feet above sea level

Climate: Semi arid and sunny, with temperatures varying according to elevation

Admitted to Union: January 6, 1912

Capital: Santa Fe

Head Official: Governor Bill Richardson (D) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 1,302,894

1990: 1,515,069

2000: 1,819,046

2004 estimate: 1,903,289

Percent change, 1990–2000: 20.1%

U.S. rank in 2004: 36th

Percent of residents born in state: 51.5% (2000)

Density: 15.0 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 94,196

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 1,214,253

Black or African American: 34,343

American Indian and Alaska Native: 173,483

Asian: 19,255

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1,503

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 765,386

Other: 309,882

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 130,628

Population 5 to 19 years old: 434,231

Percent of population 65 years and over: 11.7%

Median age: 34.6 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 27,672

Total number of deaths (2003): 14,636 (infant deaths, 157)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 1,182

Economy

Major industries: Government; manufacturing; services; finance, insurance, and real estate; trade

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (February 2005)

Per capita income: $25,502 (2003; U.S. rank: 47th)

Median household income: $35,265 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 18.4% (1999)

Income tax rate: Ranges from 1.7% to 6.8%

Sales tax rate: 5.0%