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Valencia County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 76,569. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Los Lunas Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population is 14,835 inside the village limits due to the new housing developments at El Cerro de Los Lunas (Huning Ranch). It is the county ...
. Valencia County is included in the
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, NM
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
. The county was a significant
bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Ret ...
region that held the longest record for predicting presidential election winners until
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
.


History

The county, which was formerly much larger in area, lost almost 81 percent of its territory on 19 June 1981, upon the creation of Cibola County, which occupies the westernmost portion of Valencia County's former area.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in New Mexico by area.


Adjacent counties

*
Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo ...
- north *
Torrance County Torrance County is a county located in the center of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,383. The county seat is Estancia. The geographic center of New Mexico is located in Torrance County, southwest of ...
- east * Socorro County - south * Cibola County - west


National protected areas

*
Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, USA. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name w ...
(part) * El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (part) * Manzano Wilderness (part)


Other protected areas

* Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, est. 2003


Demographics


2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 66,152 people, 22,681 households, and 17,350 families living in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 62 people per square mile (24/km2). There were 24,643 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile (9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 66.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 1.3%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 3.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 23.9% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 4.6% from two or more races. 55.0% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino of any race. There were 22,681 households, out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.25. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,099, and the median income for a family was $37,157. Males had a median income of $30,339 versus $23,132 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the county was $14,747. About 13.5% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 76,569 people, 27,500 households, and 19,967 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 30,085 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 73.2% white, 3.8% American Indian, 1.4% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 17.0% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 58.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.9% were German, 6.7% were English, 6.1% were
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, and 4.2% were American. Of the 27,500 households, 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.4% were non-families, and 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 37.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,044 and the median income for a family was $48,767. Males had a median income of $41,511 versus $32,584 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,955. About 15.7% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.


Communities


Cities

* Belen * Rio Communities


Town

* Peralta


Villages

* Bosque Farms *
Los Lunas Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population is 14,835 inside the village limits due to the new housing developments at El Cerro de Los Lunas (Huning Ranch). It is the county ...
(county seat)


Census-designated places

* Adelino *
Casa Colorada Casa Colorada (English: ''Red House'') is a colonial house built located in Santiago, Chile. It was built in 1769, by Joseph de la Vega for Mateo de Toro y Zambrano, and currently houses the Museo de Santiago (English: ''Museum of Santiago''). Th ...
* Chical * El Cerro * El Cerro Mission * Highland Meadows * Jarales * Las Maravillas * Los Chavez * Los Trujillos-Gabaldon (former) *
Madrone ''Arbutus'' is a genus of 12 accepted speciesAct. Bot. Mex no.99 Pátzcuaro abr. 2012.''Arbutus bicolor''/ref> of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islan ...
* Meadow Lake * Monterey Park * Pueblitos * Rio Communities North (former) * Sausal * Tomé *
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...


Unincorporated communities

* Bosque * Tome-Adelino


Education

Valencia County has two school districts: Belén Consolidated Schools and Los Lunas Public Schools.


Notable people

*
Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
lived in Valencia County from 1971 to 1978, while continuing his musical career. He served for two and a half years as a deputy sheriff in the Valencia County Citizens' Patrol; during that time he purchased and donated three highway-patrol pursuit cars. He occasionally played local dances. * Brian Reynolds Myers, lived in Valencia County during the late 1990s


Politics

Valencia County once held the longest active streak of voting for the winner of U.S. presidential elections, breaking for the nationwide winner in every presidential election from
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
to
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
. In
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, both it and
Vigo County, Indiana Vigo County ( ) is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 105,994 . Its county seat is Terre Haute. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute metropolita ...
broke their streaks dating back to the 1950s (since 1956 in Vigo) by selecting Donald Trump over eventual winner Joe Biden, leaving
Clallam County, Washington Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 77,155, with an estimated population of 78,209 in 2021. The county seat and largest city is Port Angeles; the county as a whole comprises the ...
, whose streak extends back to 1980, as the holder of longest-running presidential bellwether. Before 1952, its record is less reliable; the only other Democratic president it voted for was
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
in
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
.


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Valencia County, New Mexico


References

;Specific ;General
County status and boundary changes
United States Census Bureau {{Coord, 34.72, -106.80, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NM_source:UScensus1990 1852 establishments in New Mexico Territory Populated places established in 1852 Albuquerque metropolitan area