For years, the story of Sandoval County’s economy was often simplified. We were seen as a “commuter county,” a fast-growing suburb where people lived, but not necessarily where they built their careers.
At the Sandoval Economic Alliance (SEA), our job is to look past the myths and find the truth in the numbers. And the data today doesn’t just debunk that old story—it tells a new one. It’s a compelling, three-part narrative of a county that isn’t just growing, it’s transforming.
This isn’t a temporary boom. It’s a fundamental, sustainable, and strategic shift. The data proves it.
Here is the real story of Sandoval County’s economy, told in three chapters: our people, our professions, and our paychecks.
Part 1: The Foundation — A Magnet for People
The first rule of economic development is that business follows talent. A company’s most critical resource is its people. And for decades, people have been choosing Sandoval County at a rate that redefines “growth” in the Southwest.
Let’s look at the foundational number.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2010 and 2024, the population of Sandoval County exploded by 19.9%, adding over 26,000 new residents.
To understand how staggering that is, you need context. During that same period, the United States as a whole grew by 7.7%. The entire state of New Mexico grew by just 2.4%.
This trend isn’t slowing down. Federal Reserve (FRED) data shows the county’s population continued its steady climb, adding over 4,200 more residents between 2022 and 2024 alone.
This isn’t a statistical blip; it’s a massive, sustained inbound migration.
Why it matters to our partners: For a CEO, a site selector, or a human resources director, this is the single most attractive statistic a region can have. It means you aren’t just recruiting from a static labor pool; you are setting up in the middle of a talent magnet.
This growth provides a deep, diverse, and dedicated workforce. These new residents are families looking for quality of life, skilled professionals seeking new opportunities, and experienced workers bringing their talents with them. They are here, they are motivated, and they are ready to work.
But where, exactly, are they working? This brings us to the second, and most transformative, part of our story.
Part 2: The Engine — A Shift to High-Value Professions
The old myth of a “commuter county” vanishes when you look at which parts of our local economy are growing.
The most recent Quarterly Economic Summary from the New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMEDD), released in July 2025, paints a clear picture of economic diversification.
While the post-pandemic construction boom has begun to rebalance (showing a year-over-year decline), a new engine has taken its place. The “knowledge economy” is thriving.
According to the report, the “Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services” sector saw a $6.9 million year-over-year gain in Matched Taxable Gross Receipts (MTGR). This high-wage sector—which includes engineering, R&D, consulting, and computer systems design—is now the third-largest contributor to our county’s entire economic output.
That’s not all. The “Information” sector grew by a remarkable 16% year-over-year. The “Manufacturing” sector, a cornerstone of high-value employment, grew by 15%.
Why it matters to our partners: This data proves that Sandoval County’s economy is maturing. We are building a resilient, “future-proof” economic base that doesn’t just rely on one or two industries.
When high-value sectors like Professional Services, Information, and Manufacturing are all posting double-digit or multi-million-dollar gains, it signals a major shift. It shows that high-wage, “knowledge economy” jobs are being created right here.
This is the “Sandoughville Difference” in action. We are actively fostering an environment where innovation thrives, and the data shows it’s working. This growth provides a robust local supply chain for tech, R&D, and advanced manufacturing, creating a powerful ecosystem for our partners to plug into.
Part 3: The Proof — A 12% Rise in Paychecks (And What It Really Means)
So, we have more people. And we have more high-value jobs. What is the real-world result?
The answer is the most powerful—and perhaps most misunderstood—statistic of all.
The same July 2025 NMEDD report reveals that in the second quarter of this year, average weekly wages in Sandoval County grew by $135 year-over-year.
That is a 12% increase.
For any business leader or HR director, that 12% figure rightfully raises a critical question: “A 12% wage growth is great for workers, but won’t it just drive up my cost of doing business?”
It’s the most important question to ask, and the answer reveals the true, sustainable health of our economy.
This 12% jump is not a story about runaway baseline inflation; it’s a story about economic transformation.
This wage growth is not happening in a vacuum. It is being driven directly by the high-value “knowledge economy” boom we saw in Part 2: the $6.9 million gain in “Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services” and the 16% growth in the “Information” sector.
This tells us it’s a value shift, not just a cost shift. The average wage is rising because the type of jobs we are creating is improving. Businesses are competing for high-end, professional talent because that talent is here.
This healthy, vigorous competition for skilled labor is why our wage growth is so dramatically outpacing state and national averages.
This is the “proof in the pudding” of a virtuous economic cycle. This rising prosperity supports our local retail, housing, and service sectors, creating a higher quality of life for everyone and making our community even more of a “talent magnet.”
We understand that navigating a high-growth market is a challenge. That’s precisely why the Sandoval Economic Alliance is your strategic partner.
This data is the “why” behind our mission. It’s why we are so focused on workforce development—from our partnership with RioTech High School to our deep ties with local colleges. We are committed to ensuring a sustainable, skilled talent pipeline for the next five years, not just the next quarter.
Our message to a prospective business is clear: In Sandoval County, you are not just competing for world-class talent; you are joining an ecosystem that is actively building it with you.
The Data Tells the Story
The numbers don’t lie.
The story of Sandoval County is no longer about commuting. The story—backed by credible, current, and verifiable data—is about a powerful, three-part transformation:
- We have the PEOPLE: A population growing at a rate double the national average.
- We have the PROFESSIONS: A “knowledge economy” that is growing by double-digits and diversifying our local job base.
- We have the PROSPERITY: A 12% jump in weekly wages that dwarfs state and national averages, proving the value of our workforce.
This is the new reality. The data makes one thing clear: the time to invest, build, and grow in Sandoval County is now.
Sources:
- U.S. Census Bureau & USAFacts (2010-2022 Population Data)
- Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) (2023-2024 Population Estimates)
- New Mexico Economic Development Department (July 2025 Quarterly Economic Summary, Sandoval County)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (Q2 2025 Usual Weekly Earnings & Q1 2025 County Employment and Wages)
