Portuguese Population in New Mexico by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Portuguese population in New Mexico totals 4,573, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Albuquerque (1,666), followed by Rio Rancho (378) and Las Cruces (319), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Portuguese residents are distributed across New Mexico''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Portuguese population in New Mexico

View All
  • 1
    Albuquerque
    Portuguese population in Albuquerque is 1,666
    0.30% of Albuquerque population is Portuguese
  • 2
    Rio Rancho
    Portuguese population in Rio Rancho is 378
    0.35% of Rio Rancho population is Portuguese
  • 3
    Las Cruces
    Portuguese population in Las Cruces is 319
    0.28% of Las Cruces population is Portuguese
  • 4
    Santa Fe
    Portuguese population in Santa Fe is 220
    0.25% of Santa Fe population is Portuguese
  • 5
    Roswell
    Portuguese population in Roswell is 82
    0.17% of Roswell population is Portuguese

Overview of Portuguese population in New Mexico

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate New Mexico contains 4,573 Portuguese residents (0.22% of 2.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 39th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Portuguese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show New Mexico's Portuguese demographic representation of 0.22% remains below the national average of 0.41%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates New Mexico contains 4,573 Portuguese residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Portuguese population of 1.4 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 Portuguese per square mile, compared to the national average of 0.38 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
  • Need additional overviews? Extended research data available for purchase and license. ➔

74 Cities in New Mexico Ranked by Portuguese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Portuguese population in New Mexico present in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Las Cruces, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in New Mexico ranked by Portuguese population count
Rank by Portuguese Population
City
Portuguese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total New Mexico Portuguese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Albuquerque 1,666 0.30% 36.43%
2 Rio Rancho 378 0.35% 8.27%
3 Las Cruces 319 0.28% 6.98%
4 Santa Fe 220 0.25% 4.81%
5 Roswell 82 0.17% 1.79%
6 Carlsbad 77 0.24% 1.68%
7 Clovis 76 0.20% 1.66%
8 75 2.22% 1.64%
9 70 0.23% 1.53%
10 65 0.36% 1.42%
11 57 0.12% 1.25%
12 51 0.41% 1.12%
13 49 0.66% 1.07%
14 43 0.20% 0.94%
15 42 0.44% 0.92%
16 37 0.31% 0.81%
17 21 0.05% 0.46%
18 12 0.13% 0.26%
18 12 0.16% 0.26%
19 11 0.12% 0.24%
19 11 0.08% 0.24%
19 11 1.28% 0.24%
20 9 0.15% 0.20%
20 9 0.14% 0.20%
20 9 0.17% 0.20%
21 7 0.95% 0.15%
22 6 0.34% 0.13%
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
23 0 - -
Need the complete table? Full rankings and the underlying data sets for California and other locations are available for purchase or license.

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 city in New Mexico by their Portuguese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Portuguese alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Portuguese .
  2. % of Total New Mexico Portuguese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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.
  • City that don’t have any reported Portuguese 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 Portuguese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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