Bent County, Colorado

CO · FIPS 08011 Republican

Located in Colorado, Bent County has a population of 5,549 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #2,848 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 28.4%. The median home value is $146,900, and the median household income is $50,179, which is 33% below the national median.

5,549
Population
#2,848 of 3,222
$50,179
Median Income
-33.2% #2,761 of 3,222
40.6 years
Median Age
+4.4% #1,910 of 3,222
28.4%
Poverty Rate
+125.1% #3,065 of 3,222

Demographics

Bent County has a population of 5,549, making it the #2,848 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.8%
Native Born
2.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Bent County is $50,179, ranking #2,761 out of 3,222 counties — 33.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 28.4% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#2,761
$50,179
-33.2%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#3,082
$22,556
-45.3%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poverty#3,065
28.4%
+125.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Unemployment#2,426
5.8%
+8.9%
vs nation
25th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Bent County is $146,900 (-47.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,162/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.2%.

Home Value#2,300
$146,900
-47.9%
vs nation
29th percentile
Rent#602
$1,162
-0.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Homeownership#2,728
65.2%
+1.2%
vs nation
15th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Bent County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.4% below the national average, ranking #2,715 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.7% −53.4% vs nation
Rank #2,715 of 3,222
16th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Bent County is 74.8 years. 22.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,699
74.8
-0.5%
vs nation
45th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,384
22.8%
+16.6%
vs nation
24th percentile
Diabetes#1,849
11.4%
+2.4%
vs nation
41th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,109
35.8%
-4.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,270
6.0
+6.0%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,716
5.2
+16.9%
vs nation
14th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,161
7.9%
-24.6%
vs nation
63th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,523
25.8%
-2.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,902
19.5%
+35.4%
vs nation
8th percentile

Substance Use

19.2% of adults in Bent County smoke , 33.1% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,031
19.2%
+6.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Adult Obesity#451
33.1%
-12.7%
vs nation
86th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,324
19.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
58th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.9 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,084
24.9
+22.8%
vs nation
26th percentile

Families & Children

27.4% of children in Bent County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,389
31.0
+42.0%
vs nation
20th percentile
Child Poverty#2,692
27.4%
+44.3%
vs nation
14th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Bent County is 48.6%. The mean commute time is 23.6 min, which is 14.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
48.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.6 min −14.4% vs nation
Rank #2,219 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Bent County voted Republican with a margin of 38.8%. The vote was 29.5% Dem / 68.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +38.8%
29.5% 68.3%
Dem 2,189 votes Rep
2020 REP +33.9%
32.2% 66.1%
Dem 2,274 votes Rep
2016 REP +30.9%
30.7% 61.6%
Dem 1,892 votes Rep
2012 REP +14.6%
41.4% 56%
Dem 1,881 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.5%
41.6% 56.1%
Dem 1,920 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Bent County, Colorado

Bent County, Colorado has a total population of 5,549, making it the 2,848th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bent County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Bent County is $50,179, which ranks #2,761 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 28.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in Bent County is $146,900, 47.9% below the national median. Renters in Bent County pay a median gross rent of $1,162 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Bent County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.6 min.

Bent County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (32.5%) and Two or More Races (8.4%).

All data for Bent County, Colorado comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.