Most African American cities in New Mexico research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze New Mexico’s most recent Census data to determine the cities with the largest Black population, based on the percentage of Black residents.
The city with the largest African American population in New Mexico is Alamogordo (5.8% Black); the least is Artesia (0.0%). Statewide, New Mexico is 1.8% Black — the 42nd blackest state in the country.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, about 12% of the total population. In New Mexico, the Black population is 38,573, at 1.8% of the state total.
We broke down the most recent Census data to determine the cities in New Mexico with the largest African American population in 2026.
#1 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Otero County, New Mexico
Alamogordo is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by White Sands National Monument. It is the city nearest to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 30,403 as of the 2010 census. Alamogordo is known for its connection with the Trinity test, the first explosion of an atomic bomb, and also for the Atari video game burial of 1983.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Curry County, New Mexico
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States, with a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2014 estimated population of 39,860. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the eastern part of the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Lea County, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 34,122 at the 2010 Census, increasing from 28,657 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Albuquerque AL-b-kur-kee; Navajo: Beeeldl Dahsinil ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The high-elevation city serves as the county seat of Bernalillo County, and it is situated in the north central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population is 559,277 as of the July 1, 2016 population estimate from the United States Census Bureau, and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. The Albuquerque metropolitan statistical area has a population of 909,906 according to the United States Census Bureau’s most recently available estimate for 2016. Albuquerque is the 60th-largest United States metropolitan area. The Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Placitas, Corrales, Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, and forms part of the larger Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas combined statistical area, with a total population of 1,171,991 as of the July 1, 2016, Census Bureau estimates.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Sandoval County, New Mexico
Rio Rancho is the largest city and economic hub of Sandoval County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It is the third-largest and also one of the fastest expanding cities in New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, Rio Rancho had a population of 93,820.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Eddy County, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62/180 and 285, and is the principal city of the Carlsbad-Artesia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has a total population of 55,435. Located in the southeastern part of New Mexico, Carlsbad straddles the Pecos River and sits at the eastern edge of the Guadalupe Mountains.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Valencia County, New Mexico
Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, in the 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. It is the county seat of Valencia County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as “The City of the Crosses”, is the seat of Doa Ana County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 97,618, and in 2015 the estimated population was 101,643, making it the second largest city in the state, after Albuquerque. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doa Ana County and southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces metropolitan area had an estimated population of 213,676 in 2014. It is the principal city of a metropolitan statistical area which encompasses all of Doa Ana County and is part of the larger El Paso-Las Cruces combined statistical area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Lincoln County, New Mexico
Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 8,029 at the 2010 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs and the unincorporated area of Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area’s population of 21,223.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most African American in New Mexico
Located in
Chaves County, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in New Mexico. It is the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 48,411, making it the fifth-largest city in New Mexico. It is a center for irrigated farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also the home of New Mexico Military Institute, founded in 1891. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located a few miles northeast of the city on the Pecos River. Bottomless Lakes State Park is located 12 miles east of Roswell on US 380.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Mexico’s statewide median.
On the map
Where New Mexico’s Black communities live
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In New Mexico With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across New Mexico.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people in New Mexico. That left us with 32 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 5.8% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Alamogordo took the distinction of being the most Black, while Artesia was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in New Mexico with the largest African American population.
The full plate
African American Population By City In New Mexico
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alamogordo | 31,307 | 1,809 | 5.8% |
| 2 | Clovis | 37,942 | 1,994 | 5.3% |
| 3 | Hobbs | 40,252 | 2,072 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Albuquerque | 562,218 | 16,585 | 2.9% |
| 5 | Rio Rancho | 108,515 | 3,068 | 2.8% |
| 6 | Carlsbad | 31,746 | 689 | 2.2% |
| 7 | Los Lunas | 18,618 | 374 | 2.0% |
| 8 | Las Cruces | 114,197 | 2,186 | 1.9% |
| 9 | Ruidoso | 7,699 | 145 | 1.9% |
| 10 | Roswell | 47,638 | 847 | 1.8% |
| 11 | Deming | 15,221 | 228 | 1.5% |
| 12 | Gallup | 21,023 | 260 | 1.2% |
| 13 | Las Vegas | 13,000 | 148 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Santa Fe | 89,019 | 961 | 1.1% |
| 15 | Grants | 8,951 | 93 | 1.0% |
| 16 | Corrales | 8,555 | 81 | 0.9% |
| 17 | Belen | 7,450 | 70 | 0.9% |
| 18 | Lovington | 11,498 | 106 | 0.9% |
| 19 | Portales | 11,968 | 108 | 0.9% |
| 20 | Sunland Park | 17,463 | 150 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Silver City | 9,536 | 71 | 0.7% |
| 22 | Farmington | 46,314 | 304 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Socorro | 8,481 | 54 | 0.6% |
| 24 | Raton | 6,026 | 27 | 0.4% |
| 25 | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque | 5,857 | 21 | 0.4% |
| 26 | Truth or Consequences | 6,019 | 17 | 0.3% |
| 27 | Taos | 6,458 | 18 | 0.3% |
| 28 | Bernalillo | 9,086 | 21 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Tucumcari | 5,160 | 7 | 0.1% |
| 30 | Bloomfield | 7,395 | 3 | 0.0% |
| 31 | Aztec | 6,150 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 31 | Artesia | 12,576 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 32 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Black Populations Across New Mexico
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across New Mexico according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in New Mexico are Alamogordo, Clovis, Hobbs, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Carlsbad, Los Lunas, Las Cruces, Ruidoso, and Roswell.
