County outline
Where Bernalillo County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.5% of Bernalillo County’s measured area and water for 0.5%. Its combined area converts to 3,023.5 square kilometers or approximately 747,121 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,161.657 | 3,008.678 | 743,460.5 |
| Water | 5.72 | 14.815 | 3,660.8 |
| Total | 1,167.377 | 3,023.493 | 747,121.3 |
How Bernalillo County compares
By original Census land area, Bernalillo County ranks #31 of 33 in New Mexico and #531 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.309 times the New Mexico county-equivalent median of 3,758 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete New Mexico ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Bernalillo County
The Census Bureau estimates that 667,601 people lived in Bernalillo County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #107 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #1 of 33 in New Mexico. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 676,446, the population has declined by 8,845 (−1.3%), compared with +0.4% for New Mexico as a whole.
With 1,161.7 square miles of land, that is 575 people per square mile (222 per km²), placing Bernalillo County #306 nationally for density and #1 in New Mexico. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the New Mexico median is 6.9. Put another way, there are about 1.1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 676,867 | 675,490 | 672,636 | 671,767 | 670,181 | 667,601 |
| Change | — | −1,377 | −2,854 | −869 | −1,586 | −2,580 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Bernalillo County
5 incorporated places lie at least partly in Bernalillo County. Together they are home to 562,862 people (84.3%); the other 104,739 (15.7%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Albuquerque city, with 556,588 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque cityCounty seat | 556,588 | −1.4% | 187.4 |
| Los Ranchos de Albuquerque village | 5,790 | −1.5% | 4.452 |
| Tijeras village | 460 | −0.2% | 1.153 |
| Edgewood townAlso in 2 other counties | 20 | −4.8% | 56.8 |
| Rio Rancho cityAlso in 1 other county | 4 | 0% | 103.6 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Bernalillo County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Bernalillo County is a central county of the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 4 county equivalents have 925,279 residents on 9,283.8 square miles of land; Bernalillo County accounts for 12.5% of the land and 72.2% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #7 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #64 by population. It belongs to the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Los Alamos, NM Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Bernalillo County | 667,601 | 1,161.7 |
| Sandoval County | 159,565 | 3,710.2 |
| Valencia County | 82,013 | 1,066.7 |
| Torrance County | 16,100 | 3,345.2 |
ZIP codes
29 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Bernalillo County; 24 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
8700887015870228702687047870488705987068871018710287104871058710687107871088710987110871118711287113871148711687117871208712187122871238712487151
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Cibola County (4,540 mi²) and the smallest is Valencia County (1,066.7 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Bernalillo County forms a block of 15,734.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 7.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Bernalillo | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cibola County | 4,540 | 3.9× larger | Compare |
| Sandoval County | 3,710.2 | 3.2× larger | Compare |
| Torrance County | 3,345.2 | 2.9× larger | Compare |
| Santa Fe County | 1,910.4 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Valencia County | 1,066.7 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Bernalillo County compared with U.S. states?
Bernalillo County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.1 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.7 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). New Mexico’s county land could hold about 104 areas the size of Bernalillo County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 34.1 miles (54.9 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Bernalillo County?
Bernalillo County has more land than 2,691 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Bernalillo County at #607 nationally by total area, 76 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.7 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Bernalillo County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #530 | Bowman County, North Dakota | 1,161.8 | Compare |
| #531 | Bernalillo County, New Mexico | 1,161.7 | This county |
| #532 | Maui County, Hawaii | 1,161.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 35.053628, -106.669080. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 3,008,678,414 m²; AWATER: 14,815,826 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Bernalillo County?
Bernalillo County, New Mexico has 1,161.7 square miles (3,008.7 km²) of land and 5.72 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,167.4 square miles. It ranks #531 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Bernalillo County the largest county in New Mexico?
No. Bernalillo County ranks #31 of 33 in New Mexico by land area. The largest is Catron County, with 6,924.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Bernalillo County?
Bernalillo County shares a land border with Sandoval County, Valencia County, Torrance County, Cibola County, and Santa Fe County.
What is the population of Bernalillo County?
The Census Bureau estimates Bernalillo County had 667,601 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #107 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 575 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Bernalillo County?
The county seat of Bernalillo County is Albuquerque.
What cities and towns are in Bernalillo County?
Bernalillo County has 5 incorporated places. The most populous are Albuquerque city, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque village, Tijeras village, Edgewood town, and Rio Rancho city; 104,739 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Bernalillo County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 4 county equivalents and 925,279 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Bernalillo County?
29 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Bernalillo County, and 24 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Bernalillo County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Bernalillo County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 743,460 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 747,121 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.