Created in 1917 and named after Ezequiel C. de Baca, New Mexico’s second governor, De Baca County is among the state’s smallest and most rural. The county seat, Fort Sumner, rests beside the Pecos River and carries a vivid history – Billy the Kid met his fate here in 1881, and the local museum preserves his legend. Other small settlements such as Yeso and Taiban maintain quiet, ranching identities. The landscape is dominated by flat grasslands, distant mesas, and cottonwood-lined rivers. Life here moves at a slow, frontier pace with agriculture, cattle, and hay production as mainstays. Housing consists primarily of ranch homes and small bungalows on large lots. Most properties are self-maintained with wells and septic systems. It’s roughly 90 miles northwest of Roswell – the nearest city. Average resale homes cost $150 000 – $220 000, while building a custom ranch home averages $140 – $170 per sq ft. De Baca appeals to those seeking heritage, space, and solitude in a county that still feels authentically Old West.