San Juan County, New Mexico

San Juan County () is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, its population was 121,661 making it the fifth-most populous county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Aztec. The county was created in 1887.

San Juan County is part of the Farmington, New Mexico, metropolitan statistical area. It is in the state's northwest corner and includes the New Mexico portion of the Four Corners.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.5%) are covered by water. Indian reservations (and off-reservation trust lands) comprise 63.4% of the county's land area. The Navajo Nation takes up 60.45% and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation occupies another 2.93%.

The physical features include three rivers - the San Juan, Animas, and La Plata Rivers, and the Chuska Mountains and Shiprock Pinnacle to the west, volcanic structures, buttes, mesas, badlands, and fertile river valleys.

Adjacent counties

* Rio Arriba County - east
* Sandoval County - southeast
* McKinley County - south
* Apache County, Arizona - west
* San Juan County, Utah - northwest
* Montezuma County, Colorado - north
* La Plata County, Colorado - north
* Archuleta County, Colorado - northeast

National protected areas

* Aztec Ruins National Monument
* Chaco Culture National Historical Park (part)

Major highways

* U.S. Route 64
* U.S. Route 491 (formerly U.S. Route 666)
* U.S. Route 550
* New Mexico State Road 170
* New Mexico State Road 371
* New Mexico State Road 511
* New Mexico State Road 597(connector to Four Corners Monument)

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 113,801 people, 37,711 households, and 28,924 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 43,221 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 52.83% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 36.88% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.77% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. 14.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 37,712 households, 42.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 23.3% were not families. About 19.3% of households were one person and 6.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.43.

The age distribution was 32.6% under 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.

The median household income was $33,762 and the median family income was $37,382. Males had a median income of $35,066 versus $21,299 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,282. About 18.0% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 130,044 people, 44,404 households, and 32,457 families were living in the county. The population density was . There were 49,341 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 51.6% White, 36.6% American Indian, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.3% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 19.1% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were:

* 34.8% Navajo
* 15.0% English
* 10.7% Mexican
* 9.1% German
* 5.9% Irish
* 4.4% Spanish
* 2.8% American
* 1.8% French
* 1.4% Italian
* 1.2% Scottish
* 1.1% Scotch-Irish
* 1.1% Swedish

Of the 44,404 households, 40.5% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.9% were not families, and 21.9% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.38. The median age was 33.0 years.

The median household income was $46,189 and the median family income was $53,540. Males had a median income of $44,984 versus $30,245 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,725. About 15.9% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Aztec
* Bloomfield
* Kirtland
* Farmington

Census-designated places

* Angustura
* Beclabito
* Blanco
* Cedar Hill
* Center Point
* Crystal‡
* Flora Vista
* Huerfano (former)
* La Boca
* La Plata
* Lake Valley
* Lee Acres
* Nageezi
* Napi Headquarters
* Naschitti
* Navajo Dam
* Nenahnezad
* Newcomb
* North Light Plant
* Ojo Amarillo
* Sanostee
* Sheep Springs
* Shiprock
* Spencerville
* Totah Vista
* Turley
* Upper Fruitland
* Waterflow
* West Hammond
* White Rock
* Young Place

Other communities

* Fruitland
* Riverside

Politics

The county has consistently voted for the Republican Party, though Democrats have usually gotten at least 30% of the vote. The only Democratic presidential candidate to win the county since 1936 was Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide, who only narrowly won the county by just 93 votes and a margin of victory of less than 1%. San Juan County is the most populous county in New Mexico to lean Republican. The cities of Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, and Kirtland all lean strongly Republican, as does the rural area in the north and east of the county. The rural districts to the southwest around Nageezi, which have a high Native American population, saw a Republican trend in the 2024 election and flipped to give Donald Trump a slim majority. The western half of the county including the community of Shiprock, an area which is dominated by the Navajo Nation, votes traditionally Democratic.

Education

School districts include:
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* Aztec Municipal Schools
* Bloomfield Municipal Schools
* Central Consolidated Schools
* Farmington Municipal Schools

See also

* Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
* National Register of Historic Places listings in San Juan County, New Mexico

References

{{Coord, 36.51, -108.32, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NM_source:UScensus1990

1887 establishments in New Mexico Territory
Populated places established in 1887