How Cibola County has changed

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The 2020 Census struggled along with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over it. Due to the pandemic and extra difficulty in getting census results back, the United States Congress extended the deadline for getting responses to the census. Months later, the US Census Bureau has begun releasing the results of the decennial census and Cibola didn’t see a massive shift in population.

In 2010, the census discovered that Cibola had a population of 27,213. In 2020 Cibola had a population of 27,172, higher than the 2019 estimate. This is a 0.2 percent decrease in the county’s population, and a loss of 41 residents in the county over a 10-year period.

Racial profile

Cibola County is a mix of people from all ethnicities and origins, but in 2010 had been primarily dominated by a white population. In 2020, this is no longer the case, as the county has seen large increases of Native American, and Asian people. This story follows the manner in which the United States 2020 Census results were released, no race was intentionally placed higher or lower on the list. There are two categories for each race identified by the census, the Race Alone category and Race in Combination category. Race in Combination means a person who identifies as a mix of two races.

White population: In 2010 Cibola County had a population in which 41.8 percent of residents considered themselves White Alone, in 2020 that number decreased to 29.7 percent of the population. Suffering a 29 percent loss in population, this is a decrease of 3,306 people who consider themselves White Alone.

In 2010 2.5 percent of the population identified themselves as White in Combination, in 2020 that number increased to 11.9 percent, seeing a 385.3 percent increase in people identifying as White in Combination.

Black or African American population: In 2010 Cibola had a one percent of the population identifying as Black or African American Alone, in 2020 that number remained at one percent. This was a 3.3 percent increase in people considering themselves Black or African American Alone.

In 2010 Cibola had .4 percent of its population that identified as Black or African American in Combination, in 2020 that number increased to .6 percent, a 61.6 percent increase in people identifying as Black or African American in Combination.

American Indian and Alaskan Native population: In 2010 41 percent of Cibola County’s population identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native Alone, in 2020 that number increased to 45 percent. This is a 9.7 percent increase in population with 1,084 new residents identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native Alone.

In 2010 1.7 percent of Cibola County identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in Combination, in 2020 that number increased to 2.4 percent of the population. A 38.2 percent increase in people identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native in Cominbation.

Asian population: In 2010 .5 percent of Cibola’s population identified as Asian Alone, in 2020 that number increased to .8 percent of the population. This is a 40.3 percent increase in residents identifying as Asian Alone.

In 2010 .2 percent of Cibola’s population identified as Asian in Combination, in 2020 this number increased to .5 percent of the population. This is a 119.6 percent increase in residents identifying as Asian in Combination from 2010.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population: In 2010 Cibola County had .1 percent of the population identifying as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone, in 2020 this number remained at .1 percent, seeing a 30.8 percent loss of people who identify as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone. In 2010, .2 percent of Cibola identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in Combination, in 2020 that number remained .2 percent. This saw a 52.3 percent increase in people identifying as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in Combination.

Some Other Race population: The census allowed people who did not see their race or ethnicity on the list to select “Some Other Race” instead. In 2010 Cibola had 12.4 percent of the population identify as Some Other Race Alone, in 2020 that number fell to10.5 percent of the population, this is a 15 percent decrease.

In 2010, 14 percent of Cibola’s population identified as Some Other Race in Combination, in 2020 that number increased to 21.1 percent. This is a 50.8 increase in residents identifying as Some Other Race in Combination.

Two or More Races: In 2010 3.1 percent of Cibola identified as Two or More Races, in 2020 that number increased to 12.8 percent. This is a 308 percent increase in people identifying as Two or More Races over a ten-year period.

Being that this is already Two or More Races, there is no “in Combination” category.

Hispanic: Being an ethnicity that can span multiple races, people who identify as Hispanic fall into a category of their own.

In 2010 36.5 percent of people who lived in Cibola County considered themselves Hispanic, in 2020 31.8 percent of residents considered themselves Hispanic. This means Cibola currently has 8,644 people living in the county who identified as Hispanic.

Other statistics

The State of New Mexico has a population of 1,078,937 residents as of 2020. In 2010 the state had a population of 2,059,179 residents.

As a whole, the United States population grew from 2010 by 22,703,742 people.

In 2010 the nation’s population was 308,745,538, in 2020 the population is 331,449,280.