Elephant Butte is a city in Sierra County,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, United States, located near

Elephant Butte Reservoir Elephant Butte Reservoir is a reservoir on the southern part of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico, north of Truth or Consequences. The reservoir is the 84th largest man-made lake in the United States and the largest in New Mexico by ...

and

Elephant Butte Lake State Park Elephant Butte Lake State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, located north of Truth or Consequences along the shore of Elephant Butte Reservoir in Sierra County. Description The park is the largest state park in New Mexico and ...

. The population was 1,431 at the time of the 2010 census.

History

Elephant Butte was named from Elephant Butte, a

butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...

nearby thought to resemble an

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

Geography

Elephant Butte is located at (33.189809, -107.222873). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Government

As of January 2022 the current mayor of Elephant Butte is Phillip Mortensen while John Mascaro serves as city manager.

Demographics

At the 2010 census there were 1,431 people in 772 households, including 464 families, in the city. The population density was 477.0 people per square mile. There were 1,316 housing units at an average density of 438.7 per square mile. The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 92.2% White, 0.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.9% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.6%. Of the 772 households 7.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 9.3% of households had individuals under 18 years and 56.0% had individuals age 65 or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.31. The age distribution was 8.7% under the age of 18 and 43% 65 or older. The median age was 62.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. As of the 2000 census, the median household income was $31,705, and the median family income was $37,344. Males had a median income of $30,809 versus $22,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,345. About 7.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools is a school district headquartered in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico Truth or Consequences (often abbreviated as T or C) is a city in New Mexico, and the county seat of Sierra County. In 2020, the ...

is the school district for the entire county. Truth or Consequences Middle School and Hot Springs High School, both in Truth or Consequences, are the district's secondary schools.

Notable people

Crystal Diamond Crystal Diamond is an American politician serving as a member of the New Mexico Senate from the 35th district. Elected in 2020, she assumed office on January 19, 2021. Education Diamond earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural eco ...

, member of the

New Mexico Senate The New Mexico Senate ( es, Senado de Nuevo México) is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts across the stat ...

since 2021 *

David Parker Ray David Parker Ray (November 6, 1939 – May 28, 2002), also known as the Toy-Box Killer, was an American kidnapper, torturer, serial rapist and suspected serial killer. Though no bodies were found, Ray was accused by his accomplices of killing ...

, kidnapper, torturer, rapist and suspected

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

Toy-Box Killer David Parker Ray

References

External links

Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in New Mexico Cities in Sierra County, New Mexico