Los Alamos County, New Mexico
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Los Alamos County is a county located in the state of New Mexico. As of 2000, the population is 18,343. The county was administered exclusively by the Federal government during the Manhattan Project, but is currently an "incorporated county" as a result of its previous Federal administration. The two population centers in the county, Los Alamos, New Mexico and White Rock, New Mexico are not incorporated independently but are commonly referred to as "townsites" or "communities". Many county offices are located at the townsite of Los Alamos, New Mexico which serves as the county seat6. The county is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 283 km² (109 mi²). There is no significant (< 0.01%) open water in the county. The highest point is along the northern border of the county, near the summit of Caballo Mountain, at 10,480'+.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 18,343 people, 7,497 households, and 5,337 families residing in the county. The population density is 65/km² (168/mi²). There are 7,937 housing units at an average density of 28/km² (73/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 90.26% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 3.78% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.70% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. 11.75% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,497 households out of which 33.50% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.70% are married couples living together, 5.70% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% are non-families. 24.90% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.70% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.43 and the average family size is 2.92.
In the county the population is spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 4.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 30.00% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $78,993, and the median income for a family is $90,032. Males have a median income of $70,063 versus $40,246 for females. The per capita income for the county is $34,646. 2.90% of the population and 1.90% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.80% of those under the age of 18 and 4.70% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Quality of Living
In a study conducted by American City Business Journals in 2004, Los Alamos county topped the list as the best place to live in America in terms of quality of life. This was attributed to the high levels of job stability, income and education of Los Alamos residents, many of whom are employed as scientists and engineers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The county has one of the highest number of PhDs per capita and the median household income of $78,993 per year is the fourth highest among all the counties in the US. Other factors contributing to Los Alamos's high quality-of-life index were the access to affordable housing and short commuting times.
External Links
- MSNBC: Where's the best place to live in America (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5023308/)
| Regions of New Mexico | 
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|---|---|
| Llano Estacado | Sangre de Christo Mountains | |
| Largest cities | |
| Albuquerque | Las Cruces | Santa Fe | |
| Farmington | Roswell | Clovis | Alamogordo | Los Lunas | Hobbs | Carlsbad | Espanola | Gallup | Las Vegas | Deming | Belen | Taos | Silver City | Portales | Artesia | Los Alamos | Grants | |
| Counties | |
| Bernalillo | Catron | Chaves | Cibola | Colfax | Curry | De Baca | Doņa Ana | Eddy | Grant | Guadalupe | Harding | Hidalgo | Lea | Lincoln | Los Alamos | Luna | McKinley | Mora | Otero | Quay | Rio Arriba | Roosevelt | San Juan | San Miguel | Sandoval | Santa Fe | Sierra | Socorro | Taos | Torrance | Union | Valencia | |
| Colleges and universities | |
| College of Santa Fe | College of the Southwest | Eastern New Mexico University | New Mexico Highlands University | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | New Mexico Military Institute | New Mexico State University | St. John's College, Santa Fe | University of New Mexico | Western New Mexico University |