← Map/North Dakota/Counties/Benson

Benson
North Dakota

6K

Population

$63K

Median Income

$147K

Median Home

R+10

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$63K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate25.3%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate2.9%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$65,548
Federal Spending per Capita$4,760
Median Individual Earnings$45K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers42.5%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$63K
Avg Credit Score640
Work From Home %3.8%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1835.0%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households24.3%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms5
Income (20th Percentile)$18K
Income (80th Percentile)$115K
Income (95th Percentile)$202K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher21.3%
This county
national avg 35.0%
Less Than High School12.8%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %0.8%
Dependency Ratio1.71
Medicare Spending / Person$2,721
SS Benefits / Person$3,369
Education Wage Premium1.67x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$57K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$56K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$33K
Public Assistance Recipients2.6%
Average Annual Wage$53K
Professional Services Concentration0.02x national
This county
1.0 = national average share

Housing

Median Home Value$138K
This county
$255K state avg
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$563/mo
This county
$1100/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate1.02%
This county
0.88% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $810

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$873/mo
Home Value to Income Ratio1.2x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households8.6%
Homeownership Rate71.7%
This county
national avg ~65%
Days on Market (Redfin)Slow — buyers have leverage
308 days
Sold Above List (Redfin)
0.0%
Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)Buyers market — homes selling below list
89.7%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy62.2 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Food Insecurity13.7%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index6.4 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score20
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score17
Dental Care Shortage Score24
Healthcare Shortage Score20.3
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)43.8%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)23.1%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)25.6%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)30.5%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)36.6%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians2
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients748 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$11,656
Uninsured (under 65)8.2%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression22.2%

Education

Math Test Scores2.55 grade level
Reading Test Scores2.47 grade level
HS Diploma Holders806
Bachelor's Degree Holders581
HS Completion Rate87.2%
This county
national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate4.4 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Traffic Fatalities8
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)74th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)-999.0 / 100K
Suicide Rate64.5 / 100K
This county
national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-3.1
January Sunshine-0.47
January Temperature-2.39
Average Temp41°F
Avg High Temp52°F
Avg Low Temp30°F
Annual Precipitation17.4 in/yr
Avg Storm Events11.8 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$74K
Drought Index (2022)0.19
Heating Degree Days9,261 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days429 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)10,173 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)354 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year1.4
Avg Flood Events / Year0.4
Avg Hail Events / Year2.6
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)20 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)10 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations34 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)5.7 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)7 properties
FAA-Registered Airports4 total
Airports (excl. heliports)4 airports

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed188 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed184 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)292 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)137 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)33 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)36 ms
Households with 100Mbps+99.5%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet6.9%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)227 Mbps

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers77 workers
Public Transit Commuters0 workers
Walk to Work126 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)6 workers
Avg Commute Time14.5 min
This county
national avg ~27 min
Walk to Work6.3%

Agriculture

Farms369 farms
Farmland20,032 acres

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden26.1%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers1.6 per 10K residents

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout43.5%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)6.484
Nonprofit Organizations45
Veterans Share8.1%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults40.9%
Never-Married Adults45.6%
Divorced Adults7.5%
Asian Population0.6%
Native American Population54.8%
Membership Associations0.0 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Colleges & Universities1
Hotels & Lodging3
Professional Services Firms5
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$46K
Avg Student Loan Balance$7K
Avg Credit Card Balance$3K
Loan Delinquency Rate53.1%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.06%

Politics

R+10

2024 Presidential · North Dakota was R+33 statewide

vs North Dakota State

Income tax
2.5%Same (state law)
Property tax
1.02%0.88% state avg
Politics
R+10R+33
COL Index
County data98 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

-50

More people leaving than arriving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.76x avg income)

Economic Mobility

41%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Benson County

Median home value: $147K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Local News — Benson

Legacy | Obituary · 2 weeks ago

Asmunder Benson Obituary (1950 - 2026) - Bottineau, ND - The Bismarck Tribune

Asmunder Swain Benson II, age 76 of Bottineau, passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in Fargo. His

The Mighty 790 KFGO · Dec 22, 2025

Former Fargo School Board member running for North Dakota House seat

FARGO (KFGO) – A former member of the Fargo School Board says she wants to represent Fargo residents

The Flag - AM 1100 and FM 92.3 WZFG · Dec 26, 2025

N.D. House candidate Jennifer Benson responds to censures from when she was on the Fargo School Board

N.D. House candidate Jennifer Benson responds to censures from when she was on the Fargo School Boar

Valley News Live · Apr 7, 2026

Man hospitalized after Benson County standoff now faces felony charges

BENSON COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The man barricaded inside a Benson County home late last mo

E&E News by POLITICO · Dec 5, 2025

North Dakota judge invalidates state carbon storage law

A North Dakota judge handed a win to landowners this week after he found that part of a property rig

USAFacts · Jul 7, 2026

Is Benson County, ND's population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 28 between 2024 and 2025. Changes in population can reflect birth and death rates, immigr

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable