San Juan County, New Mexico

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5538 sqmi, of which 25 sqmi (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

• [[Image:US 64.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 64
• [[Image:US 491.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 491 (formerly U.S. Route 666)
• [[Image:US 550.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 550
• [[File:New Mexico 170.svg|20x20px]] New Mexico State Road 170
• [[Image:New Mexico 371.svg|x20px]] New Mexico State Road 371
• [[File:New Mexico 511.svg|20x20px]] New Mexico State Road 511
• [[Image:New Mexico 597.svg|x20px]] New Mexico State Road 597(connector to Four Corners Monument)

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2016

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 121,661. The median age was 36.5 years. 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 41.4% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 41.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.0% from some other race, and 9.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 19.4% of the population.

64.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 35.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 42,536 households in the county, of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 47,744 housing units, of which 10.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.2% were owner-occupied and 29.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.9%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 130,044 people, 44,404 households, and 32,457 families were living in the county.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213030345/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US35045 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213161849/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US35045 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213011056/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US35045 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

• 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.{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213011607/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US35045 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

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 21 /mi2. There were 43,221 housing units at an average density of 8 /mi2. 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.

Communities

Cities

• Aztec
• Bloomfield
• Kirtland
• Farmington

Census-designated places

• Angustura
• Beclabito
• Blanco
• Cedar Hill
• Center Point
• Crystal‡
• Flora Vista
• La Boca
• La Plata
• Lake Valley
• Lee Acres
• Middle Mesa
• 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

Other communities

• Fruitland
• Huerfano
• Riverside
• White Rock

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:

• Aztec Municipal Schools
• Bloomfield Municipal Schools
• Central Consolidated Schools
• Farmington Municipal Schools

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2007). "New Mexico: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". The Newberry Library.
4. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
9. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
11. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. (January 15, 2025). "An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2024 Election". The New York Times.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
15. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: San Juan County, NM". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].