- Fact Sheet
New Americans in Santa Fe County
Published
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Santa Fe County paid over $122 million in taxes and held over $365 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New Americans in Santa Fe County, was prepared in partnership with the City of Santa Fe’s Office of Economic Development and Somos Un Pueblo Unido.
The report also features four profiles of community members: Ana Magaña, Iris Madely Alay, Verónica Velázquez, and Gretel Barrita.
In 2019, more than 16,000 immigrants lived in Santa Fe County, accounting for 11.1 percent of the total population. Immigrants represented 15.2 percent of its working age population and 15.0 percent of its employed labor force, despite making up 11.1 percent of the county’s overall population.
The report was produced as part of the Council’s and Welcoming America’s Gateways for Growth Challenge, which includes tailored research on the local immigrant population.
For more information, see our press release.
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Immigrants are helping the county meet its labor force demands. Immigrants played a critical role in several key industries, representing 28.6 percent of construction workers, 27.1 percent of hospitality workers, 14.8 percent of professional services workers, 14.5 percent of general services workers, and 8.7 percent of STEM workers in 2019.
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Immigrants actively participate in the labor force. In 2019, immigrants in Santa Fe County were 42.9 percent more likely to be of working age than their U.S.-born counterparts, positioning them to actively contribute to the economy as taxpayers and consumers.
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Immigrants play a significant role in the county as entrepreneurs. Immigrants represented 15.2 percent of business owners in Santa Fe County in 2019. About 1,800 immigrant entrepreneurs generated $35.6 million in business income, which can be reinvested back into the local and state economies.
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Immigrants support the federal safety net. In 2019, immigrants in Santa Fe County contributed $49.7 million to Social Security and $13.2 million to Medicare.