Indian Population in New Mexico by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, New Mexico is home to 6,216 Indian residents. Bernalillo County contains the largest Indian community with 3,307 individuals, followed by Dona Ana County (770), Santa Fe County (585), and several other counties contributing to this statewide total. The remaining difference may reflect Indian populations in lower-population counties not listed above or minor reporting adjustments in the census data. This demographic breakdown ranks all counties in New Mexico by their Indian population, offering insights into community patterns across the state.

Top 5 counties with the largest Indian population in New Mexico

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  • 1
    Bernalillo County
    Indian population in Bernalillo County is 3,307
    0.49% of Bernalillo County population is Indian
  • 2
    Dona Ana County
    Indian population in Dona Ana County is 770
    0.35% of Dona Ana County population is Indian
  • 3
    Santa Fe County
    Indian population in Santa Fe County is 585
    0.38% of Santa Fe County population is Indian
  • 4
    Valencia County
    Indian population in Valencia County is 406
    0.52% of Valencia County population is Indian
  • 5
    Sandoval County
    Indian population in Sandoval County is 269
    0.18% of Sandoval County population is Indian

Overview of Indian population in New Mexico

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate New Mexico contains 6,216 Indian residents (0.29% of 2.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 20th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Indian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show New Mexico's Indian demographic representation of 0.29% remains below the national average of 1.5%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates New Mexico contains 6,216 Indian residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Indian population of 4.9 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicate New Mexico maintains fewer than 1 Indian per square mile, compared to the national average of 1.4 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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32 Counties in New Mexico Ranked by Indian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Indian population in New Mexico distributed across multiple counties, led by Bernalillo County, Dona Ana County, Santa Fe County, and Valencia County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Indian birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in New Mexico ranked by Indian population count
Rank by Indian Population
County
Indian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total New Mexico Indian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Bernalillo County 3,307 0.49% 53.20%
2 Dona Ana County 770 0.35% 12.39%
3 Santa Fe County 585 0.38% 9.41%
4 Valencia County 406 0.52% 6.53%
5 Sandoval County 269 0.18% 4.33%
6 Socorro County 197 1.21% 3.17%
7 Chaves County 113 0.18% 1.82%
8 77 0.13% 1.24%
9 70 0.10% 1.13%
10 53 0.11% 0.85%
11 48 0.24% 0.77%
12 38 0.11% 0.61%
13 35 0.05% 0.56%
14 31 0.04% 0.50%
15 27 0.02% 0.43%
16 24 0.19% 0.39%
17 20 0.07% 0.32%
18 17 0.09% 0.27%
19 10 0.23% 0.16%
20 7 0.03% 0.11%
21 2 0.01% 0.03%
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
22 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in New Mexico by their Indian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Indian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Indian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Indian alone, while others identify as Indian along with another race (such as Indian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Indian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Indian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Indian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Indian .
  2. % of Total New Mexico Indian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Indian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Indian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Indian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Indian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.