Elephant Butte is a city in
Sierra County,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
, 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 b ...
and
Elephant Butte Lake State Park. 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 table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a F ...
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
An economy is an area of th ...
, 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 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 ...
, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools 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, 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, 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]
See also
*
List of municipalities in New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the Western United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, New Mexico is the 15th least-populous state with inhabitants but the 5th-largest by land area, spanning . New Mexico is divided into 33 ...
*
Cibola National Forest
The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, USA. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name was ...
*
Apache Kid Wilderness
*
Fort McRae
Fort McRae was a Union Army post, established in 1863, then a U.S. Army post from 1866 and closed in 1876, in what is now Sierra County, New Mexico. The post was named for Alexander McRae (1829–1862) a slain hero of the 1862 Battle of Valver ...
References
External links
Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in New Mexico
Cities in Sierra County, New Mexico