BentNM
A town of 10, settled in 1906.
Is Bent a good place to live?
60% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bent, above both the New Mexico town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Bent. Bent has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
10 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bent: who provides what
Bent is unincorporated, so Otero County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bent.
Very high risk in Bent, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.0 jobs for every working resident, most of Bent’s workers commute out
The top destinations are Alamogordo (20%), Las Cruces (10%) and La Luz (7%). Half commute less than 24 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Bent, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Bent has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Bent’s July high is 85°F, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 93°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bent stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a larger share of its adults say their health is fair or poor
38% of Bent adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Bent. 18% of Bent adults report frequent mental distress.
| Bent | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 26% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 13% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bent | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.4% | 13.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83% | 73.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.2% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
White Sands National Park and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bent. Close and well known come first.
25 mi National ParkWhite Sands National Park660K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumNew Mexico Museum of Space History5.0M visitors a year
28 mi National forestLincoln National Forest
32 mi State parkFort Stanton18 mi Ski areaSki Apache46 runs · 1,796 ft vertical16 mi Ski areaSki Cloudcroft26 runs · 634 ft verticalPhoto credits
White Sands National Park: uncredited NPS employee, Public domain · New Mexico Museum of Space History: AllenS, Public domain · Lincoln National Forest: Dsw3131, Public domain · Fort Stanton: AllenS, Public domain
Everything we know about Bent
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bent; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Bent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
100% of working residents leave Bent for work
Where Bent’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Bent
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
Bent is a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 150 as of the 2020 census. Bent has a post office with ZIP code 88314. U.S. Route 70 passes through the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,823 ft
- ZIP code
- 88314
Questions about Bent
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bent, NM a good place to live?
Bent has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.