Population 3,952 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Benson
Household size in Benson
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.04 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.07 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.09 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.26 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Benson is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.04 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.1 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.3 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in Benson is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Benson: 15.8% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
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
Renters in Benson
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.6% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.7% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Benson rent their homes (34.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Minnesota overall (27.8%). Among homeowners, 53.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Benson: 11.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −5 | +5 | +6 |
Benson is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $416 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $576 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $682 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $863 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$447 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Benson runs $863 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Benson
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Benson (30.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.2% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Benson is above the national rate: 93.2% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota.
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
| Period | Benson | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.0% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Benson has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | 2.30 | 40.4 | 15.8% | 34.7% | 11.6% | 1963 | $863 | 30.5% | 93.2% | 2.6% |
| Clontarf | 2.50 | 44.4 | 6.5% | 10.9% | 13.8% | 1960 | $1,028 | 23.2% | 94.9% | 4.3% |
| DeGraff | 2.43 | 40.4 | 13.7% | 19.6% | 12.2% | 1964 | $964 | 22.0% | 96.7% | 4.3% |
| Danvers | 2.39 | 43.2 | 6.9% | 8.5% | 15.1% | 1956 | $1,144 | 18.7% | 94.9% | 6.4% |
| Swift Falls | 2.43 | 50.4 | 3.5% | 11.7% | 22.8% | 1962 | $906 | 25.1% | 97.2% | 2.4% |
| Murdock | 2.49 | 34.0 | 17.8% | 25.6% | 8.6% | 1964 | $993 | 20.8% | 96.2% | 4.9% |
| Hagan | 2.42 | 42.8 | 7.5% | 10.5% | 14.7% | 1954 | $1,096 | 18.6% | 92.9% | 7.0% |
| Hancock | 2.79 | 35.7 | 8.4% | 19.2% | 8.9% | 1966 | $901 | 23.8% | 94.2% | 3.1% |
| Kerkhoven | 2.34 | 39.4 | 8.3% | 29.4% | 7.0% | 1969 | $828 | 18.3% | 95.8% | 5.8% |
| Holloway | 2.22 | 49.7 | 6.8% | 31.4% | 15.4% | 1966 | $728 | 22.1% | 90.4% | 4.2% |
| Terrace | 2.34 | 54.2 | 4.0% | 4.6% | 36.8% | 1972 | $1,356 | 21.4% | 98.1% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jackson, MN · Vernon, AL · Cape Charles, VA · Keeseville, NY · Valdez, AK · Corning, AR · East Bernard, TX · Bells, TX · North Barrington, IL · Shannondale, WV
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. 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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