Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
There were 18,995 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for city was $47,169, and the median income for a family was $52,233. Males had a median income of $39,162 versus $27,385 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $20,322. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2008 estimates

Rio Rancho's and the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area's July 1, 2008 populations were estimated at 79,655 and 845,913, respectively by the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

's Population Estimates Program.

Economy

The Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...

 is by far the largest employer in Rio Rancho. The services, retail, and government sectors are also major components of the local economy.

Rio Rancho is the site of Intel
Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...

's Intel Fab 11X, the largest and most advanced semiconductor fabrication plant in the world. The fully automated, $2 billion facility opened in 2002 and was the first Intel plant to manufacture 300 mm silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...

 wafers, which can hold almost twice as many chips as the standard 200 mm wafers. Fab 7, Intel's original Rio Rancho plant, closed in 2002 but is being converted into a test facility.

In 2005, Rio Rancho became the first U.S. city to offer citywide voice-over-WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...

 (VoWiFi) service although many of its residents complained that the service did not live up to their expectations.

Several call centers call Rio Rancho home. Walmart opened up in early summer of 2006 in Rio Rancho thus sparking several new commercial retailers to locate nearby.

Top employers

# Employer # of employees
1 Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...

6,840
2 Rio Rancho Public Schools
Rio Rancho Public Schools
Rio Rancho Public Schools is a school district based in Rio Rancho, NM, USA. Rio Rancho Public Schools serves the municipality of Rio Rancho. The school district has a total of 18 schools. The district has two high schools, two alternative high schools, four middle schools, 10 elementary schools...

1,410
3 Hewlett-Packard Company 1,320
4 Sprint Corporation Call Center 610
5 Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...

 Call Center
528
6 Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...

 Call Center
438
7 City of Rio Rancho
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

480
8 JC Penney Call Center 0
9 U.S. Cotton, Inc. 210

New projects

New construction of large facilities include:
  • City Centre Development, including new City Hall and Events Center,
  • New 48,000 SF office complex, home to Waste Management’s Regional Offices,
  • New 8,000 SF office for Personal Chefs Association,
  • Loma Colorado Development,
  • Mariposa
    Mariposa, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
    Mariposa is a master-planned community that is located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, in the United States. It encompasses of land annexed by the City of Rio Rancho. High Desert Investment Corporation is the primary developer of Mariposa.-Layout:...

     a 6500 acres (26.3 km²) Development,
  • V. Sue Cleveland High School
    V. Sue Cleveland High School
    V. Sue Cleveland High School or better known as Cleveland High School, is a public senior high school of the Rio Rancho Public Schools. It is located in north-western Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Named after long time Rio Rancho Superintendent and educator of Public Schools, V. Sue Cleveland was...

     began classes in 2009,
  • A new UNM
    University of New Mexico
    The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...

     West Campus.
  • Hewlett Packard building opened January, 2010,
  • Central New Mexico Community College
    Central New Mexico Community College
    Central New Mexico Community College , formerly Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, is the community college for metropolitan Albuquerque, New Mexico....

    (CNM)Construction now complete.
  • A new 75 acres (303,514.5 m²) development on Unser Boulevard in the southwestern part of the city including a new location for Presbyterian Hospital, scheduled to open in 2011, surrounded by office and retail space, a hotel, and a 12-screen Century
    Century Theatres
    Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...

    -branded Cinemark
    Cinemark Theatres
    Cinemark Theatres is a chain of movie theatres owned by Cinemark Holdings, Inc. in North and South America and Taiwan. It has its headquarters in Plano, Texas.Cinemark's Missions Statement Reads as follows:...

     movie theater with Cinemark XD theater. Construction will consist of three phases between 2010 and 2013.
  • A new 14-screen Premiere Cinemas
    Premiere Cinemas
    Premiere Cinemas, officially known as Premiere Cinema Corporation, is a privately held motion picture exhibitor based in Big Spring, Texas.As of August 2009, Premiere Cinemas owns and operates 18 theatres with 135 screens in Texas, 44 screens in Alabama, 22 screens in Florida and 14 in New...

     theater at the corner of Southern Boulevard and Unser Boulevard.

Taxation

The City of Rio Rancho City Council recently passed tax increases that raised gross receipts taxes that are higher than Albuquerque. The City Council also passed an automatic annual increase in water rate equivalent to 25% over a five year period. Recent bond measures have seen significant increases in property taxes. Recent updates from the City of Rio Rancho Finance department indicate that the only increase in revenue has been from property taxes.

2000s housing bubble

Rio Rancho has seen a significant increase in foreclosure activity. Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia counties were some of the worst-affected by the late 2000s recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...

.

Sports

Rio Rancho was home to the inactive New Mexico Scorpions
New Mexico Scorpions
The New Mexico Scorpions were a Central Hockey League team located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The team was established in 1953 as a part of the Western Professional Hockey League . In 2001, the WPHL merged with the CHL...

 minor-league ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team, which relocated from Albuquerque in 2006. The Scorpions play at Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center is an 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque. The arena is located near the intersection of Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Volcan...

. However, if the Scorpions return, it will not be at the Star Center, as the New Mexico Mustangs
New Mexico Mustangs
The New Mexico Mustangs are a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of Rio Rancho, New Mexico set to begin play for 2010-11. A member of the North American Hockey League and play in the South Division, the Mustangs will play their home games in the Santa Ana Star Center...

 of the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...

 have announced they will begin play there starting in 2010-11.

In the spring of 2008, the Star Center became the home of the New Mexico Wildcats
New Mexico Wildcats
The New Mexico Wildcats are a professional indoor football team that will begin play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2008 season...

 indoor football team. However, they only lasted two seasons, folding at the conclusion of 2009.

Starting in fall of 2010, the Star Center will be home to the New Mexico Thunderbirds
Albuquerque Thunderbirds
The New Mexico Thunderbirds were a professional NBA Development League minor league basketball team which played from 2005-2011. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Thunderbirds first played their home games at Tingley Coliseum as the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, then played at the Santa Ana Star...

 of the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...

 and the New Mexico Mustangs
New Mexico Mustangs
The New Mexico Mustangs are a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of Rio Rancho, New Mexico set to begin play for 2010-11. A member of the North American Hockey League and play in the South Division, the Mustangs will play their home games in the Santa Ana Star Center...

 of the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...

. The New Mexico Thunderbirds announced in July 2011 that the team was sold to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will be moved to Canton, OH for the upcoming season.

The Blades Multiplex Arena hosts an indoor soccer league.

Rio Rancho is also the home city of New Mexico Strongman, an amateur organization dedicated to promoting and hosting strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...

 competitions in New Mexico.

City Manager James Palenick controversy

On December 13, 2006, Rio Rancho City Manager James Palenick was fired by the City Council.
In September 2007 the New Mexico Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...

's office issued an opinion that conversations between the mayor and four city councilors before the firing were a violation of the state's Open Meetings Act. Based on this decision Palenick sued the city in January 2008, claiming he was fired illegally and seeking back pay. The city claimed it had cured the violation by voting in open session in November 2007 to fire him.

Mayor Kevin Jackson controversy

Mayor Kevin Jackson resigned on July 17, 2007, after city councilors censured him, passed a vote of no-confidence, took away his city credit card, and voted to subpoena him to testify about allegations that he had made about $5,300 in questionable purchases on his city credit card.
He was also being investigated by the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety, the New Mexico State Police
New Mexico State Police
The New Mexico State Police is the state police agency for New Mexico, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in New Mexico...

, a U. S. inspector general
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...

, and the New Mexico Auditor
State auditor
State auditors are executive officers of U.S. states who serve as auditors and comptrollers for state funds....

's Office.
Michael Williams was appointed interim mayor,
and on March 4, 2008, Tom Swisstack was elected mayor for the remaining two years of Jackson's term.

Green2V controversy

In the Spring of 2010, several political leaders, including Governor Richardson and Senators Bingamen and Udall, announced plans for a 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) solar manufacturing plant. The Rio Rancho City Council passed an inducement resolution based on recommendations from city staff. Multiple sources investigated the promised $500 million funding source only to find that no corporation was registered where proponents claimed. Funding never materialized. The inducement resolution has been withdrawn. The City Council funded infrastructure for the proposed site using $7.2 million in borrowed funds. The City of Rio Rancho is now looking to recover an additional $14,000 in legal fees. Rio Rancho Economic Development is now marketing the site as an industrial location.

Schools

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Rio Rancho Public Schools
Rio Rancho Public Schools is a school district based in Rio Rancho, NM, USA. Rio Rancho Public Schools serves the municipality of Rio Rancho. The school district has a total of 18 schools. The district has two high schools, two alternative high schools, four middle schools, 10 elementary schools...

 serve students in Rio Rancho.
Rio Rancho has two major high schools:
  • Cleveland High School
    V. Sue Cleveland High School
    V. Sue Cleveland High School or better known as Cleveland High School, is a public senior high school of the Rio Rancho Public Schools. It is located in north-western Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Named after long time Rio Rancho Superintendent and educator of Public Schools, V. Sue Cleveland was...

    , opened in 2009.
  • Rio Rancho High School
    Rio Rancho High School
    Rio Rancho High School or is a public senior high school of the Rio Rancho Public Schools. Located in west central Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Established in 1997, Much of the money to build RRHS was appropriated by the Intel Corporation. RRHS obtained most of its students from nearby Cibola High...

    , opened in 1997.

Other High Schools:
  • [The ASK Academy|http://theaskacademy.org/], opened in 2010
  • Cyber Academy

Media

The weekly Rio Rancho Observer is the local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

, while Rio Ranchoans also have access to television and radio broadcasts from Albuquerque as well as the daily newspaper Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...

, along with its localized semi-weekly version the Rio Rancho Journal."

Rio Rancho is also served by a government-access television (GATV) channel, that is available only through the city's only cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

 provider Cable ONE. This channel shows all of the government meetings on multiple showings.

Transportation

Albuquerque's transit department, ABQ RIDE, operates a bus route (251 Albuquerque-Rio Rancho Rail Runner Connection) connecting Rio Rancho with the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
New Mexico Rail Runner Express
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Mid Region Council of Governments , a regional government planning association, while...

 station at Journal Center
Los Ranchos/Journal Center (Rail Runner station)
Los Ranchos/Journal Center is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located in North Valley, New Mexico.It is located just south of Paseo del Norte between Second and Edith. It serves residents of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and the North Valley...

. There is a proposed regional transportation taxing district.

In late January 2011, ABQ RIDE extended two additional routes (96 Crosstown Commuter and 155 Coors Blvd), as well as introducing an additional route (551 Jefferson/Paseo Del Norte Express) into Rio Rancho. The northern terminus of these routes are at Southern Blvd and Unser Blvd.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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