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

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Iranian population in New Mexico totals 1,593. Bernalillo County contains the largest Iranian community with 1,120 residents, followed by Otero County (138), Santa Fe County (136), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in New Mexico by their Iranian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Iranian population in New Mexico

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  • 1
    Bernalillo County
    Iranian population in Bernalillo County is 1,120
    0.17% of Bernalillo County population is Iranian
  • 2
    Otero County
    Iranian population in Otero County is 138
    0.20% of Otero County population is Iranian
  • 3
    Santa Fe County
    Iranian population in Santa Fe County is 136
    0.09% of Santa Fe County population is Iranian
  • 4
    Dona Ana County
    Iranian population in Dona Ana County is 60
    0.03% of Dona Ana County population is Iranian
  • 5
    Chaves County
    Iranian population in Chaves County is 47
    0.07% of Chaves County population is Iranian

Overview of Iranian population in New Mexico

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate New Mexico contains 1,593 Iranian residents (0.075% of 2.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 35th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Iranian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show New Mexico's Iranian demographic representation of 0.075% remains below the national average of 0.15%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates New Mexico contains 1,593 Iranian residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Iranian population of 503,057, 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 Iranian per square mile, compared to the national average of 0.14 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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32 Counties in New Mexico Ranked by Iranian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Iranian population in New Mexico distributed across multiple counties, led by Bernalillo County, Otero County, Santa Fe County, and Dona Ana County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Iranian ancestry. 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 Iranian population count
Rank by Iranian Population
County
Iranian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total New Mexico Iranian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Bernalillo County 1,120 0.17% 70.31%
2 Otero County 138 0.20% 8.66%
3 Santa Fe County 136 0.09% 8.54%
4 Dona Ana County 60 0.03% 3.77%
5 Chaves County 47 0.07% 2.95%
6 Socorro County 43 0.26% 2.70%
7 Luna County 34 0.13% 2.13%
8 12 0.10% 0.75%
9 3 0.00% 0.19%
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 0 - -
10 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 Iranian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian alone, while others identify as Iranian along with another race (such as Iranian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Iranian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Iranian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Iranian 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 Iranian .
  2. % of Total New Mexico Iranian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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