Home » Communities

Albuquerque: Take Your Business to a Higher Level

Albuquerque is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best cities for business. In 2009 Forbes magazine ranked Albuquerque, for the sixth consecutive year, among the top fifteen U.S. cities for business and careers. The area’s highly educated workforce, low operational costs, above-average population growth and great quality of life have attracted investment from leading corporations throughout the world. Fidelity Investments, ReelzChannel, General Mills, Molina Healthcare, Solar Distinction, Sony Imageworks, and SCHOTT Solar are among the companies that have recently selected the Albuquerque metro area for new investment and job creation.

Albuquerque at a Glance

Square Miles

9,288

Population (2009 estimate)

520,224 (City)
859,428 (MSA)

Labor Force Size

408,600 (2009 average)

Industrial Avg. Rental Rate

$6.68/sq.ft./yr (Q3/2009)

Office Avg. Rental Rate (Class A)

$22.01/sq.ft./yr (Q3/2009)

Educational Attainment
Population Age 25+

High School Graduate: 26%
Some College: 24%
College Graduate or More: 34%

Median Age

35.9 (2009 estimate)

Median Household Income

$46,392 (2009 estimate)

Median Sales Price
Existing Single-Family Home

$180,000 (2009)

Cost of Living

96.2 (2009 average)

Benefits of Doing Business in Albuquerque

The city's Sunbelt location provides excellent access to market centers in the Southwest, Central, and Western United States. The city is a registered U.S. Port of Entry with its own customs facility, enabling freight cargo to be shipped directly and duty paid locally. In addition, Albuquerque has an active designated Foreign Trade Zone, allowing goods to be stored or manufactured in the zone by foreign or domestic business without U.S. customs duty being imposed.

Target Industries

Albuquerque's target industries include Aviation/Aerospace, Renewable Energy Products Manufacturing, Microelectronics, Biotechnology/Biomedical Research, IT/Software, Optics/Photonics, Microsystems/Nanotechnology, and Shared Services/Teleservice Operations.

About Albuquerque Economic Development

Albuquerque Economic Development is a private, nonprofit organization that focuses on the recruitment of economic base companies and assists with the retention and expansion of existing industry. If you would like more information about how your business can benefit by expanding to Albuquerque, call (800) 451-2933 or email info@abq.org.

President: Gary Tonjes
Vice President, Business Development: Debra Inman