Benton County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Benton County is located in Minnesota with a total population of 41,593. It is the 25th most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Benton County is 36.2 years. This is 7% lower than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Benton County is $74,410. This is 16% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.9%. This is 6% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. This is 3% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $271,000. Housing costs are 18% lower than the state median of $329,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.6x. 66.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% lower than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Benton County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.0% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 5.5%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

26.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 33% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Benton County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Minnesota and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.