Final FONSI and EA for hot cargo pad on Kirtland AFB - Kirtland Air ...

<strong>Final</strong> <strong>EA</strong> Addressing Construction, Operation, <strong>and</strong> Maintenance of a Hot Cargo Pad
in 2008. The 2008 estimate represents a 16 percent increase, or 2 percent annual increase, from the 2000
U.S. Census <strong>for</strong> the Albuquerque MSA population (U.S. Census Bureau 2000, U.S. Census Bureau 2008).
The population of Bernalillo County was 635,139 in 2008, representing 32 percent of the State of New
Mexico population. The State of New Mexico’s population totaled nearly 2,000,000 in 2008. Bernalillo
County grew 14 percent from 2000 to 2008, while during this same time period S<strong>and</strong>oval County
experienced a 36 percent increase in population. Based on 2000 U.S. Census data <strong>and</strong> 2008 U.S. Census
Bureau estimates, the population of Valencia County grew by 9 percent from 2000 to 2008. The growth
rate of population in the Albuquerque MSA (16 percent) was much greater than the growth rate of the
State of New Mexico (9 percent) <strong>and</strong> of the United States (8 percent) over the same time period. See
Table 3-9 <strong>for</strong> 2000 population <strong>and</strong> 2008 population estimate data (U.S. Census Bureau 2000, U.S. Census
Bureau 2008).
Table 3-9. 2000 Population <strong>and</strong> 2008 Population Estimates
Location 2000 2008 Percentage Change
United States 281,421,906 304,059,724 8.0%
New Mexico 1,819,046 1,984,356 9.1%
Albuquerque MSA 712,738 829,644 16.4%
Bernalillo County 556,678 635,139 14.1%
S<strong>and</strong>oval County 89,908 122,298 36.0%
Valencia County 66,152 72,207 9.2%
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2000, U.S. Census Bureau 2008
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the State of New Mexico contains one of the largest percentages of
minorities in the United States. The Hispanic population in New Mexico is the largest by percentage in
the United States (42 percent), <strong>and</strong> the Native American population in New Mexico is the second largest
by percentage in the United States (10 percent). The non-Hispanic White population in New Mexico is
one of the smallest in the country as well at 45 percent (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The Black or African
American population in New Mexico is 2 percent <strong>and</strong> the Asian or Pacific Isl<strong>and</strong>er population is 1
percent, much less than the national averages of 12 percent <strong>and</strong> 4 percent, respectively (U.S. Census
Bureau 2000).
Employment Characteristics. Approximately 1 percent of the Albuquerque MSA population is employed
within the armed <strong>for</strong>ces (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The three largest industries <strong>and</strong> the corresponding
percentage of the work<strong>for</strong>ce employed within the industry are the educational, health, <strong>and</strong> social services
industry (21 percent); the professional, scientific, management, administrative, <strong>and</strong> waste management
services industry (13 percent); <strong>and</strong> the retail trade industry (12 percent). The construction industry
represents 8 percent of the work<strong>for</strong>ce. The average median household income <strong>for</strong> the Albuquerque MSA
is $39,088, slightly less than the United States average of $41,994 (U.S. Census Bureau 2000)
Unemployment in the Albuquerque MSA from 1999 to 2008, ranged from 3.9 to 5.3 percent annually. In
August 2009 the unemployment rate climbed to 7.9 percent (BLS 2009).
Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB. The number of persons employed on Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB is greater than 31,000, making it the
single largest employer in the Albuquerque MSA. There are 1,170 active-duty personnel on the
installation. Direct payroll expenditures from Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB exceed $2 billion annually. When nonpayroll
expenditures associated with Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB are included total expenditures sum $4.6 billion. The
Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB, NM January 2011
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