Population 5,808 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Benson County
Household size in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.11 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.03 | 2.39 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.22 | 2.36 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.04 | 2.38 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Benson County is a place of big households: 3.04 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 3.11, as it has nationally. Few North Dakota counties have larger households: only two of 53.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.3 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.0 | 37.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.7 | 37.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | −0.8 | +2.3 |
Benson County is young: half of its residents are under 32.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Only one other North Dakota county is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.9% | 8.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 8.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 26.3% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.8% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly a quarter of households in Benson County (23.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only two of North Dakota's 53 counties have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Benson County
Renters in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 33.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.0% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 37.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −11.0 pts | +3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Benson County rent their homes (26.9%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 76.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 11.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 13.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 12.0% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Benson County: 19.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1976 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +11 | +6 |
Housing in Benson County leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1967 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $353 | $573 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $415 | $716 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $478 | $862 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $606 | $1,031 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$254 | +$458 | +$606 |
Rent in Benson County runs $606 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $254 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 25.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Benson County
Bachelor's degrees in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 27.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 31.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.7 pts | +6.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Benson County: 22.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 13.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.1% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.4% | 91.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.7% | 92.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.7% | 94.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Benson County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 7.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other North Dakota county has a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Benson County
| Period | Benson County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 3.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 3.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 2.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 2.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Benson County has been low: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 8.3 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Benson County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County | 3.04 | 32.7 | 23.8% | 26.9% | 19.4% | 1972 | $606 | 22.7% | 85.7% | 3.0% |
| Ramsey County | 2.17 | 42.4 | 7.9% | 45.5% | 9.2% | 1976 | $761 | 25.3% | 92.9% | 1.2% |
| Eddy County | 1.95 | 48.0 | 6.3% | 28.0% | 12.0% | 1968 | $600 | 30.7% | 93.6% | 2.3% |
| Wells County | 2.19 | 46.1 | 5.2% | 22.9% | 18.7% | 1967 | $658 | 21.9% | 92.4% | 2.1% |
| Towner County | 2.07 | 48.8 | 7.5% | 21.2% | 19.6% | 1969 | $659 | 24.1% | 91.4% | 0.7% |
| Pierce County | 2.05 | 42.7 | 6.1% | 18.4% | 10.3% | 1969 | $707 | 27.8% | 93.3% | 1.1% |
| Nelson County | 2.18 | 48.7 | 5.1% | 24.9% | 24.2% | 1962 | $696 | 29.9% | 92.7% | 1.0% |
| Sheridan County | 1.91 | 51.5 | 3.9% | 16.0% | 19.5% | 1967 | $373 | 18.9% | 90.2% | 1.1% |
| McHenry County | 2.33 | 44.2 | 5.3% | 18.6% | 19.9% | 1967 | $748 | 20.5% | 91.2% | 3.9% |
| Walsh County | 2.32 | 42.7 | 9.4% | 24.0% | 13.8% | 1970 | $862 | 19.3% | 89.5% | 1.5% |
| Grand Forks County | 2.27 | 33.7 | 7.7% | 48.2% | 8.4% | 1982 | $1,085 | 39.3% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Candler County, GA · Richmond County, VA · Richland County, MT · Emmons County, ND · Rich County, UT · Reynolds County, MO · Renville County, ND · Refugio County, TX · Gulf County, FL · Real County, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Benson County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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