2026 Sandoval County Business Pulse Survey

Executive Summary

The 2026 Sandoval County and City of Rio Rancho Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) survey highlights strong operational resilience and an aggressive pivot toward high-density workforce scaling among local employers. Comparing normalized per-firm averages across reporting primary sector companies, planned net job additions rose from 8.7 positions per firm in 2025 to 21.2 positions per firm in 2026, while physical floor space additions moderated from 6,377 square feet to 1,839 square feet per firm. Backed by high revenue expectations, with 94.1% of surveyed enterprises anticipating positive annual sales growth, companies are optimizing output within existing facilities. Meanwhile, the primary recruitment challenge shifted dramatically from general applicant pool shortages in 2025 (28.6%) to specialized technical skill deficits in 2026 (52.9%).