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.
Demographics
Historical population| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1870 | 592 | | — |
|---|
| 1880 | 1,654 | | 179.4% |
|---|
| 1890 | 1,313 | | −20.6% |
|---|
| 1900 | 3,049 | | 132.2% |
|---|
| 1910 | 5,043 | | 65.4% |
|---|
| 1920 | 9,705 | | 92.4% |
|---|
| 1930 | 9,134 | | −5.9% |
|---|
| 1940 | 9,653 | | 5.7% |
|---|
| 1950 | 8,775 | | −9.1% |
|---|
| 1960 | 7,419 | | −15.5% |
|---|
| 1970 | 6,493 | | −12.5% |
|---|
| 1980 | 5,945 | | −8.4% |
|---|
| 1990 | 5,048 | | −15.1% |
|---|
| 2000 | 5,998 | | 18.8% |
|---|
| 2010 | 6,499 | | 8.4% |
|---|
| 2020 | 5,650 | | −13.1% |
|---|
| 2024 (est.) | 5,779 | [4] | 2.3% |
|---|
|
At the 2000 census, 5,998 people, 2,003 households, and 1,388 families resided in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). The 2,366 housing units had an average density of 2 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.
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United States
Colorado 
