Friday, June 29, 2012

New City Population Numbers Out; Grenville Leads the Losers.

New population estimates for New Mexico’s towns, villages and cities appeared this week. The Census Bureau calls them “incorporated places. The state has 101.

Albuquerque led the population gainers in number with 6,951 new residents. The 1.27% growth was a mere 27th.

The Tularosa Basin was the percentage winner with Tularosa up 3.1% for the year (+88), followed by Alamogordo up 3.04% (+924). Cloudcroft, which overlooks Tularosa, Alamogordo and Whites from 9,000 feet, added 21 residents for 3.12% growth.

The two percentage growth leaders were little guys on the plains. Dora added five people to lead the state with 3.78% growth and Elida grew 3.55% with seven new residents. Together, Dora and Elida had 342 residents in July 1, 2011, according to Census Bureau estimates. Elida is in Roosevelt County, on U.S. 70, southeast of Portales by 19 miles.

Dora failed to make my AAA atlas of North America, but it does exist, according to the state’s map. Like Elida, Dora is in Roosevelt County, forming a nice triangle by being 17 miles due south of Portales and 19 miles due east of Elida at the intersection of N.M. 206 and N.M. 114. Roosevelt County may have some kind of population boom happening. Portales, the big city in the area with 12,641 residents that reflect 361 new folks for the year, a 2.94% increase that was seventh in the state.

Clovis and its suburb, Texico, both grew 2.65% during the 2010 – 2011 year with, respectively, 1,001 and 30 new residents.

Las Cruces edged toward the 100,000 population mark with 99,665 residents for July 1, 2011, an increase of 2,047 people and 2.1% growth. Add Mesilla, which is next door to Las Cruces and grew 2.10% and the total becomes 114,000.

Led by Corrales with 2.07% growth and Rio Rancho with 1,799 new residents for the year and 2.06% growth to a population of 89,320, there were eight metro Albuquerque communities with faster percentage growth than the Duke City. The other six were Cuba, Bernalillo, Bernalillo, Jemez Springs, San Ysidro, Tijeras and Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Cuba, Bernalillo and Jemez Springs are in the four-county Albuquerque metro by virtue of being in Sandoval County.

Santa Fe added 695 people for 1,02% growth and a 2011 population of 68,642.

The population losers group boasts 41 communities. Taos lost three residents for a 0.05% decline. Grenville was the biggest percentage loser, down 5.26% and two people for a population of 36. Fort Sumner dropped below 1,000 residents with a 39-person, 3.78% loss.(second in the state)

The biggest lowers came in the Farmington metro, i.e., San Juan County, Farmington dropping 621 people, or 1.35%, to 45,256, Bloomfield losing 114 and Aztec down 96.

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