Bent County, Colorado: commercial real estate data.
Bent County, Colorado has a population of 5,549 across 1,513 square miles, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
96 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bent County
How many people live in Bent County
- Population5,549
- 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-equivalents2848th
Bent County is the 50th largest of 64 Colorado counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bent County
Is Bent County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.27 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,651
- 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
The county has grown 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Bent County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving137
- People arriving, from those returns252
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$33,825
- Largest single originBent County Non-migrants (1,388 households)
- Largest single destination (1,388 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bent County Non-migrants | 1,388 | 2,769 | $72.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 117 | 215 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 20 | 37 | $489,000 |
| Other flows - South | 20 | 37 | $489,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bent County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bent County
What the Bent County economy runs on
- 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 Colorado counties55th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2937th
- 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
Who employs people in Bent County
- Covered employment, annual average1,178
- Establishments reporting97
- Average annual pay$48,755
- Average weekly wage$938
- Sector 44-45, employment78
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,862
- Sector 11, employment52
- Sector 11, average annual pay$42,070
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 78 | 12 | $28,862 |
| Sector 11 | 52 | 12 | $42,070 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 78 jobs, 6.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bent County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bent County
What is being built in Bent County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised 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
How much SBA lending happens in Bent County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$363,733
- Median 7(a) approval$92,200
- 10th percentile approval$9,000
- 90th percentile approval$990,000
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countAdvertising Material Distribution Services (2)
- Most active lenderZions Bank, A Division of (2)
The average approval of $363,733 sits well above the median of $92,200, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 0.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bent County
Which parts of Bent County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- LAS ANIMAS, approvals2
- Mc Clave, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LAS ANIMAS | 2 | $101,200 |
| Mc Clave | 1 | $990,000 |
LAS ANIMAS accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Mc Clave. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bent County
How big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population5,549
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Bent County?
Average annual pay is $48,755, or $938 a week, across 1,178 covered jobs. 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 totalling $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.
What is being built in Bent County?
No residential units were authorised 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.
Where do people moving to Bent County come from?
The largest single origin is Bent County Non-migrants, with 1,388 households. Arriving households report an average income of $33,825 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.