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City of Belen
HISTORY
Two Spaniards, Captain Don Diego Torres
and Antonio Salazar, Torres' brother-in-law,
founded Belen in 1740. They named it Belen,
Spanish for Bethlehem, in honor of that town.
The forty families who founded Belen began a
community based on agriculture. By the 19th
century, Belen's economy had expanded into
sheep herding, and the town grew. After New
Mexico became a territory of the United Stated
in 1846, immigrants began arriving and the
Belen area developed as a mercantile center
with trade base extending west to the Arizona
line and east to the Estancia Valley. The
arrival of the railroad in 1880 eventually brought
shops, a roundhouse, ice plant, and yards
containing miles of track and a depot. In 1918,
the village of Belen came into existence. The
first village ordinance was passed July 1, 1919
to provide for methods of enacting ordinances
that would
result in officials and taxes as well as fire and
police protection.
Belen became a town in 1940 and then a city in
1966. Today Belen boasts stores, motels,
restaurants, friendly residents, and interesting
places to visit and enjoy.
Belen's friendliness comes from being a
well-established community that welcomes
everyone. Many people have strong roots in
the area and those people embrace everyone,
especially folks who love the area and make it
their home. The old-fashioned values in the
greater Belen area bring citizens together to
support their community and each other. In
Belen, the sense of community has been strong
for decades and will continue to be strong
because of the citizens.
The City of Belen has prepared for growth
within its community. Improvement projects
have been made on all four entrances into the
City and revitalization of our down town area.
Belen is a friendly, progressive, economic development seeking community on the verge of major
growth.
We would like you as a partner in this continuing adventure of finding the right place for your
company and the right fit for our community. Move your company to a state that is desirable to
live in and retire to. The ambiance of the great southwest, plus competitive costs in doing
business, educational opportunities for everyone and a great quality of life.
HOUSING
Belen has several subdivisions within the City of Belen that is 80% built out. The average cost of
a new home in Belen in 2002 was $90,000 and is infill of vacant lots within older subdivisions of
Belen.
SUBDIVISIONS:
Jardin de Belen - 350 lots first phase was finalized in 1997
Rio Communities/Belen - 200+ lots for custom-built homes available.
Approximately 2000 homes.
Las Maravillas/Pacitos de Cielo - Tome area
HOUSING COSTS:
Three bedroom, two bath, approximately 1,600 to 1,700
sq. ft. $90,000.00
Four bedroom, 2.5 baths, approximately 2,000 sq. ft. $125,000.00
EDUCATION
Belen Consolidated School District EDUCATION
| Budget | $31,252,283 |
| Elementary Schools | (K-4) 6 |
| Intermediate Schools | (5-6) 1 |
| Belen Middle School | (7-8) 1 |
| Belen High School | (9-12) 1 |
| Number of Teachers | 350 |
| Number of Students | 4,845 |
| Average Salary | $34,623 |
| Drop-Out Rates, Grades 9-12 | 5.93% |
| Mean ACT Composite Score | 19.8 |
Private & Parochial Schools
St. Mary's School
Grades K-8. The school has
a strong academic program
in a Christian environment.
St. Mary's School is state
certified and provides bus
service.
La Mesa Comm. School
Grades K-12. Nationally accredited by the
Association of Christian Schools
International this school prides itself on
quality education, small classes, individual
attention, certified teachers and a sports
program.
University of New Mexico Valencia Campus
is located seven miles north of Belen
and has an enrollment of 1,700 students.
The campus offers two-year programs in
fifteen areas and certificate programs in
nine areas. A small business
development center offers counseling
and training on topics of interest to
business. The school is capable of
providing vocational programs for
industry.
New Mexico Institute of Mines and Technology
is located in Socorro, which is a thirtyminute
drive south of Belen and has an
enrollment of 1,500. New Mexico Tech is
one of the premier small technical schools
in the U.S. It is well known for its research
in earth and atmosphere sciences, the
testing of energetic materials (explosives),
mining and petroleum engineering.
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TOLL FREE 800-888-7111 
