Alcalde (Spanish for mayor) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.5 sqmi, all land.

Climate

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 377 people, 121 households, and 99 families in the CDP. The population density was 735.3 PD/sqmi. There were 138 housing units at an average density of 269.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 37.40% White, 0.27% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 54.64% from other races, and 5.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 89.12%. Of the 121 households 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 16.5% of households were one person and 7.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.39. The age distribution was 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males. The median household income was $37,969 and the median family income was $38,250. Males had a median income of $31,375 versus $20,341 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,656. About 10.7% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in Española Public Schools. Alcalde has one elementary school, Alcalde Elementary. The comprehensive public high school is Española Valley High School.

Commemorating Juan de Oñate

In the summer of 2020, two statues of Juan de Oñate were taken down amid longstanding tensions between Native Americans and Hispanics over Spain’s conquest of New Mexico. Gunfire erupted during a protest in Albuquerque, where demonstrators called for the removal of a statue of Oñate, the tyrannical conquistador whose legacy has become a focal point in the wider national movement to confront racial injustice. While protests across the country have targeted various symbols of oppression, including statues of Christopher Columbus, the focus in New Mexico is shifting toward challenging symbols of colonial violence. Earlier that day, authorities in the northern town of Alcalde removed another statue of Oñate, whose harsh rule as governor played a pivotal role in establishing centuries of Spanish control in the region.

Oñate Monument Center

The Oñate Monument Center located in Alcalde on New Mexico Highway 68.