Cibola County, New Mexico

Cibola County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,172.^[1] Its county seat is Grants.^[2] It is New Mexico's youngest county, and the third youngest county in the United States, created on June 19, 1981, from the westernmost four-fifths of the formerly much larger Valencia County.

Cibola County
County
Cibola County Courthouse in Grants
Location within the U.S. state of New Mexico
New Mexico's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°55′N 107°59′W
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
Founded	June 19, 1981
Named after	Mythical Seven Cities of Cibola
Seat	Grants
Largest city	Grants
Area
• Total	4,542 sq mi (11,760 km2)
• Land	4,539 sq mi (11,760 km2)
• Water	2.3 sq mi (6 km2)  0.05%
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,172
• Density	6.0/sq mi (2.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.cibolacountynm.com

Cibola County comprises the Grants, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is a rich mining area with numerous Uranium mines.

Geography

Ventana Arch in El Malpais National Monument

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 4,542 square miles (11,760 km²), of which 4,539 square miles (11,760 km²) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) (0.05%) is water.^[3]

Adjacent counties

• McKinley County - north
• Sandoval County - northeast
• Bernalillo County - east
• Valencia County - east
• Socorro County - southeast
• Catron County - south
• Apache County, Arizona - west

National protected areas

• Cibola National Forest (part)
• El Malpais National Conservation Area
• El Malpais National Monument
• El Morro National Monument

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1990	23,794		—
2000	25,595		7.6%
2010	27,213		6.3%
2020	27,172		−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[4] 1790-1960[5] 1900-1990[6] 1990-2000[7] 2010[8]

Cibola County, New Mexico – Racial composition

Race (NH = Non-Hispanic)	2020[9]	2010[10]	2000[11]	1990[12]
White alone (NH)	20.4% (5,538)	21.5% (5,857)	24.7% (6,325)	27.3% (6,491)
Black alone (NH)	0.9% (254)	0.8% (221)	0.9% (231)	0.8% (179)
American Indian alone (NH)	43.3% (11,767)	39.2% (10,680)	39% (9,993)	37.6% (8,945)
Asian alone (NH)	0.7% (201)	0.5% (136)	0.4% (91)	0.3% (62)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0% (7)	0.1% (19)	0% (7)
Other race alone (NH)	0.7% (196)	0.1% (21)	0.2% (47)	0% (8)
Multiracial (NH)	2.1% (565)	1.3% (345)	1.4% (346)	—
Hispanic/Latino (any race)	31.8% (8,644)	36.5% (9,934)	33.4% (8,555)	34.1% (8,109)

The most reported ancestries in 2020 were:^[13]

• Navajo (14.9%)
• Mexican (14.5%)
• Pueblo of Laguna (13.2%)
• Pueblo of Acoma (11.6%)
• Spanish (6.8%)^[14]
• English (6.4%)
• German (4.2%)
• Irish (4.2%)
• Scottish (1.1%)

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,^[15] there were 25,595 people, 8,327 households, and 6,278 families living in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile (2.3 people/km²). There were 10,328 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 39.61% White, 0.96% Black or African American, 40.32% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 15.44% from other races, and 3.24% from two or more races. 33.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,327 households, out of which 38.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 18.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,774, and the median income for a family was $30,714. Males had a median income of $27,652 versus $20,078 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,731. About 21.50% of families and 24.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.00% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 27,213 people, 8,860 households, and 6,274 families living in the county.^[16] The population density was 6.0 inhabitants per square mile (2.3 inhabitants/km²). There were 11,101 housing units at an average density of 2.4 units per square mile (0.93 units/km²).^[17] The racial makeup of the county was 41.8% white, 41.0% American Indian, 1.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 12.4% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 36.5% of the population.^[16] In terms of ancestry, 5.4% were Irish, and 1.5% were American.^[18]

Of the 8,860 households, 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.2% were non-families, and 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.30. The median age was 36.6 years.^[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $37,361 and the median income for a family was $41,187. Males had a median income of $36,027 versus $25,318 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,712. About 20.1% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.^[19]

Education

The Mining Museum in Grants

School districts serving portions of the county include:^[20]

• Grants-Cibola County Schools
• Quemado Independent Schools
• Zuni Public Schools

All public schools in the county are operated by Grants/Cibola County Schools; the Quemado and Zuni facilities are in other counties.

Due to an agreement between Cibola County and McKinley County, residents of the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation are bussed to schools in Ramah in McKinley County (including Ramah Middle/High School) even though they are physically in Cibola County, due to the long distance to the nearest Cibola County schools from the reservation.^[21]

Corrections

Cibola County is home to three prisons:

• the Cibola County Correctional Center, operated by Corrections Corporation of America, housing 1129 federal inmates under a contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Marshal Service^[22][23]
• the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility, run by CCA for the state of New Mexico, and
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility, owned and operated by the state, with about 440 male inmates^[24]

In November 2018, following a private autopsy, a unit of the Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC) was named in the abuse and wrongful death on May 25, 2018, of Roxsana Hernández Rodríguez. Rodríguez was a 33-year-old transgender woman who immigrated from Honduras. The CCCC is operated under contract by CoreCivic.^[25][26]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Cibola County, New Mexico^[27]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,311	48.02%	4,450	49.57%	216	2.41%
2020	3,975	44.65%	4,745	53.30%	183	2.06%
2016	3,195	39.63%	3,741	46.40%	1,127	13.98%
2012	2,998	36.37%	4,961	60.18%	284	3.45%
2008	3,131	34.42%	5,827	64.05%	139	1.53%
2004	3,477	46.44%	3,913	52.26%	97	1.30%
2000	2,752	38.83%	4,127	58.23%	209	2.95%
1996	2,245	32.63%	4,030	58.58%	605	8.79%
1992	2,051	32.64%	3,334	53.06%	899	14.31%
1988	2,640	43.02%	3,458	56.35%	39	0.64%
1984	3,578	53.09%	3,140	46.59%	22	0.33%

Cibola County tends to support the Democratic Party. In the 1984 presidential election, a majority voted for the Republican presidential nominee, otherwise since that time (except 2016 and 2024) all other presidential elections had a Democrat majority. Democratic strength lies especially in the Acoma, Laguna, and Ramah Navajo Reservations. Republican strength lies in Milan, Grants, and surrounding rural areas, as well as the southwestern portion of the county.

In the 2024 election, the county saw a strong trend toward the Republican Party. Kamala Harris was unable to gain a majority in the county, only winning through a narrow plurality of 49.57%. This was due in part to the cities of Grants and Milan, which trended more Republican than in 2020, with every precinct giving Trump the majority (unlike in 2020, when much of central Grants voted majority Democratic). With the exception of the rural areas to the northeast and the northwest of Grants, the rest of the county also saw Republican trends, including the areas with highly Native American populations. This was the closest that any Republican presidential candidate has come to flipping the county since Reagan's time.^[28]

At the state level, the only time it has voted for a Republican nominee for Governor was 2014, when Susana Martinez carried all but five counties in her reelection bid.

Communities

Acoma Pueblo, "Sky City", 2008

South side of Inscription Rock, El Morro National Monument. Photo by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, 1873.

City

• Grants (county seat)

Village

• Milan

Census-designated places

There are 32 Census Designated Places contained within the county, largely designated in 1980.

• Acomita Lake
• Anzac Village
• Bibo
• Bluewater Village
• Broadview
• Candy Kitchen
• Cubero
• El Morro Valley
• Encinal
• Fence Lake
• Golden Acres
• Laguna
• Las Tusas
• Lobo Canyon
• McCartys Village
• Mesita
• Moquino
• Mount Taylor
• Mountain View
• North Acomita Village
• Paguate
• Paraje
• Pinehill
• San Fidel
• San Mateo
• San Rafael
• Seama
• Seboyeta
• Skyline-Ganipa
• South Acomita Village
• Stoneridge
• Timberlake (part)

Unincorporated communities

• Alaska
• Casa Blanca
• Cebolleta
• Cebolletita
• Cubero
• El Rito
• Fence Lake
• New Laguna

Ghost Town

• Anaconda

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cibola County, New Mexico