| County | Bent County |
|---|---|
| State | Colorado |
| Founded year | 1874 |
| Founded date | February 6 |
| Coordinates | 37.95°N 103.08°W |
| Seat wl | Las Animas |
| Largest city wl | Las Animas |
| Area total | 1541 sq mi |
| Area land | 1513 sq mi |
| Area water | 28 sq mi |
| Area percentage | 1.8% |
| Census yr | 2020 |
| Pop | 5650 |
| Pop est as of | 2025 |
| Population est | 5716 |
| Time zone | Mountain |
| Web | www.bentcounty.net |
| Named for | William Bent |
| Ex image | Bent County, CO, Courthouse IMG_5719.JPG |
| Ex image size | 250 |
| Ex image cap | Bent County Courthouse in Las Animas |
| District | 4th |
Bent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,650.[1] The county seat and only incorporated municipality is Las Animas.[2] The county is named in honor of frontier trader William Bent.
History
As Colorado experienced population growth following the American Civil War, government had to be closer to the people for commerce and justice to be better served in growing communities. Territorial Bent County was created in February 1870, followed by Greenwood County the following month. The June 1, 1870, Federal Census was several months away and plans were being made to apply for statehood. On February 2, 1874, Grand County and Elbert County were formed. On February 6, 1874, Greenwood County was dissolved and divided between Bent and Elbert Counties. At the time of this annexation, Bent County included a large portion of southeastern Colorado. In 1889, Bent County acquired its current borders when it was partitioned to create Cheyenne, Lincoln, Kiowa, Otero, and Prowers Counties.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,541 square miles (3,990 km2), of which 28 square miles (73 km2) (1.8%) are covered by water.[3]
Adjacent counties
- Kiowa County - north
- Prowers County - east
- Baca County - southeast
- Las Animas County - southwest
- Otero County - west
Major highways
State protected area
Trails and byway
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 5,650. Of the residents, 16.0% were under the age of 18 and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females there were 162.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 181.1 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[4][5][6]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[7] | Pop 2010[8] | [9] | % 2000 | % 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,794 | 3,832 | style='background: #ffffe6; |3,315 | 63.25% | 58.96% | style='background: #ffffe6; |58.67% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 208 | 491 | style='background: #ffffe6; |255 | 3.47% | 7.56% | style='background: #ffffe6; |4.51% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 63 | 91 | style='background: #ffffe6; |90 | 1.05% | 1.40% | style='background: #ffffe6; |1.59% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 31 | 56 | style='background: #ffffe6; |39 | 0.52% | 0.86% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.69% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 4 | style='background: #ffffe6; |0 | 0.00% | 0.06% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 4 | style='background: #ffffe6; |8 | 0.00% | 0.06% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.14% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 88 | 36 | style='background: #ffffe6; |183 | 1.47% | 0.55% | style='background: #ffffe6; |3.24% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,814 | 1,985 | style='background: #ffffe6; |1,760 | 30.24% | 30.54% | style='background: #ffffe6; |31.15% |
| Total | 5,998 | 6,499 | style='background: #ffffe6; |5,650 | 100.00% | 100.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00% |
The racial makeup of the county was 67.8% White, 4.5% Black or African American, 2.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 15.3% from some other race, and 8.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 31.2% of the population.[6]
There were 1,805 households in the county, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[5]
There were 2,136 housing units, of which 15.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.4% were owner-occupied and 35.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.[5]
2000 census
At the 2000 census, 5,998 people, 2,003 households, and 1,388 families resided in the county. The population density was 4 inhabitants per square mile (1.5 /km2). The 2,366 housing units had an average density of 2 inhabitants per square mile (0.77 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.53% White, 3.65% Black or African American, 2.23% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 10.25% from other races, and 3.77% from two or more races. About 30.24% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 2,003 households, 32.5% had children under 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families. About 27.2% of households were one person and 12.2% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.
The age distribution was 23.8% under 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 138.7 males.
The median income for a household was $28,125 and for a family was $34,096. Males had a median income of $22,755 versus $24,261 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,567. About 16.6% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under 18 and 13.0% of those 65 or over.
Census-designated places
Politics
Bent is a strongly Republican county, although it is less so than the counties to its east. The last Democrat to carry Bent County was Bill Clinton in 1996, although Michael Dukakis in 1988 was the last to gain a majority.
Communities
Cities
Census-designated places
Unincorporated places
See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
References
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ^ [https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?q=P004:+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO,+AND+NOT+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO+BY+RACE+[73]&g=050XX00US08011 "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Bent County, Colorado"]. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Bent County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Bent County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.