Bent County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Bent County, Colorado had an estimated 5,779 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,651, across 1,513 square miles. County output reached $175.3 m in 2024, 56 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bent County
How many people live in Bent County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,549
- Households1,875
- Average household size2.96
- Median household income$50,179
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$1,162 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$146,900
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income27.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,289
- Population under 18889
- Share under 1816.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,048
- Share 65 and over18.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,612
- Civilian labor force1,836
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over39.4 percent
- Rank by population among Colorado counties50th of 64
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2848th of 3,222
Bent County is the 50th largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 18.9 percent against 16.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bent County
Is Bent County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,779
- Census 2020 base population5,651
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.27 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202467
- Births, 202442
- Deaths, 202454
- Natural change, 2024-12
- Net domestic migration, 202478
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 202477
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024404
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1084th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bent County
Where are people moving to Bent County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving137
- People arriving, from those returns252
- Tax returns filed by households leaving131
- Net household movement6
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$33,825
- Average income of a leaving household$24,779
- Largest single destinationOtero County (25 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $9,046 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bent County
What is the Bent County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$175.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$186.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.9 percent
- GDP change over five years30.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Colorado areas BEA publishes55th of 64
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2937th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$31,589
Output grew -5.9 percent in the latest year and 30.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bent County
Employment by industry in Bent County
- Covered employment, annual average1,178
- Establishments reporting97
- Average annual pay$48,755
- Average weekly wage$938
- Retail trade, employment78
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,862
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment52
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$42,070
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 78 | 12 | $28,862 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 52 | 12 | $42,070 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 78 jobs, 6.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bent County
How many businesses are in Bent County?
- Establishments, all industries56
- Employment at those establishments607
- Annual payroll$28.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents10.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bent County
Building permits in Bent County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bent County
SBA loans in Bent County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$363,733
- Median 7(a) approval$92,200
- Largest single approval$990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14
- Jobs per approval4.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bent County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bent County
Do SBA loans in Bent County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full0
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Charged off1
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bent County
SBA lending by place in Bent County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Las Animas, approvals2
- McClave, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Las Animas | 2 | $101,200 |
| McClave | 1 | $990,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bent County
How large is Bent County?
- Land area1,513 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Colorado counties32nd of 64
- Width, east to west36.2 mi
- Height, north to south43.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bent County
Flood risk in Bent County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Bent County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 080271
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Bent County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Bent County (community 080271), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Bent County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Bent County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bent County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,549
- Households1,875
- Average household size2.96
- Median household income$50,179
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Bent County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bent County, Colorado?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,779 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,549, in 1,875 households, ranking 50th of 64 Colorado counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bent County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,651, to 5,779 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 42 births against 54 deaths, with net migration of 77. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bent County?
$50,179. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $146,900, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,162 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bent County?
56 establishments, employing 607 people with an annual payroll of $28.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Bent County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 78 jobs, 6.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,178 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,755, or $938 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bent County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $1.1 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $92,200. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Bent County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bent County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Are traffic counts available for Bent County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bent County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Bent County
Cities and places in Bent.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Bent County. All 3 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Animas | city | 2,540 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| McClave | CDP | 128 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hasty | CDP | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby