Benton, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 292, Benton's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Benton is a small community located in California, within Mono County. The total population is 292. It ranks as the 1321st most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Benton is 34.7 years. This is 8% lower than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Benton is $68,027. This is 31% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 37.3%. This is 211% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 56% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $267,300. Housing costs are 64% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.9x. 72.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Benton is White (non-Hispanic), making up 49.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 13.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (13.0%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

3.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 91% lower than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Benton, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.