Population 41,593 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Benton County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Benton County
Household size in Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Benton County run a little small, averaging 2.49 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.54, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.0 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Benton County is 37.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.1, as it has nationally. Few Minnesota counties are younger: only five of 87.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Benton County as they are nationally: 12.2%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Minnesota overall (9.6%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.0 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Benton County
Renters in Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.3% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.6% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Benton County rent their homes (33.3%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Minnesota as a whole (27.8%). Nearly four in ten owners (37.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.9 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Benton County: 5.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Benton County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Minnesota counties.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Benton County is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $769 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $758 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $877 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,176 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$407 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Benton County pays $1,176 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $407 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the south.
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 Benton County
Bachelor's degrees in Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.8% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Benton County (26.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 6.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center 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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.8% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Benton County have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota. The share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Benton County
| Period | Benton County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Benton County runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 2.49 | 37.0 | 12.2% | 33.3% | 5.9% | 1987 | $1,176 | 26.8% | 92.8% | 4.0% |
| Stearns County | 2.53 | 37.2 | 8.9% | 32.1% | 8.2% | 1983 | $1,133 | 29.1% | 92.0% | 4.3% |
| Mille Lacs County | 2.55 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 22.1% | 14.5% | 1985 | $1,158 | 18.3% | 91.9% | 4.4% |
| Isanti County | 2.62 | 40.8 | 10.4% | 16.3% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,339 | 20.6% | 93.2% | 3.7% |
| Pope County | 2.29 | 45.7 | 6.1% | 16.5% | 20.0% | 1970 | $1,007 | 24.3% | 95.6% | 1.2% |
| Stevens County | 2.40 | 34.3 | 5.7% | 36.6% | 7.8% | 1969 | $956 | 32.2% | 93.5% | 1.8% |
| Traverse County | 2.46 | 46.2 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 29.8% | 1964 | $707 | 16.8% | 94.7% | 4.2% |
| Roberts County | 2.87 | 38.5 | 14.8% | 28.8% | 21.5% | 1971 | $681 | 18.0% | 91.5% | 6.1% |
| Marshall County | 2.56 | 43.0 | 6.0% | 19.7% | 31.5% | 1968 | $783 | 25.5% | 92.4% | 0.3% |
| Price County | 2.15 | 51.6 | 6.7% | 18.1% | 35.7% | 1973 | $758 | 17.7% | 93.8% | 2.9% |
| Oneida County | 2.18 | 51.4 | 6.0% | 17.7% | 37.0% | 1979 | $868 | 28.5% | 95.8% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Taos County, NM · Emmet County, MI · Santa Cruz County, AZ · Douglas County, MN · Dorchester County, MD · Silver Bow County, MT · Siskiyou County, CA · Curry County, NM · St. Mary Parish, LA · Sullivan County, NH
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 Benton 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.