Benson County, ND

County

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2024 Population

5,808

US Senator

John Hoeven

Republican Party

US Senator

Kevin Cramer

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

32.6

0.617% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

25.6%

15.3% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$64,033

5.9% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$90,000

8.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,077

1% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Benson County, ND reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.1% of the residents in Benson County, ND are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Benson County, ND are Cankdeska Cikana Community College (62 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Benson County, ND was $90,000, and the homeownership rate was 73.1%.

Most people in Benson County, ND drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Benson County, ND was 2 cars per household.

Benson County, ND borders Eddy County, ND, Nelson County, ND, Pierce County, ND, Ramsey County, ND, Towner County, ND, and Wells County, ND.

United States North Dakota

Population & Diversity

Benson County, ND is home to a population of 5.81k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.6% of Benson County, ND residents were born outside of the country (93 people).

In 2024, there were 1.18 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.92k people) in Benson County, ND than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.48k White (Non-Hispanic) and 200 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Benson County, ND residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Benson County, ND was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Benson County, ND compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benson County, ND

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
2.92k ± 97
White (Non-Hispanic)
2.48k ± 11
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
200 ± 90

1.95%

Hispanic Population

113 people

1.95% of the people in Benson County, ND are hispanic (113 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Benson County, ND as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,032 ± 1,349 people
Canada
2,767 ± 1,289 people
Philippines
2,721 ± 1,278 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 North Dakota residents, followed by Canada with 2,767 and Philippines with 2,721.

Foreign-Born Population

1.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

93 people

1.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

76 people

As of 2024, 1.6% of Benson County, ND residents (93 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Benson County, ND was 1.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Benson County, ND compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
89 ± 36
Gulf War (2001-)
48 ± 28
Korea
16 ± 20

Benson County, ND has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.85 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Benson County, ND.

Economy

The economy of Benson County, ND employs 2.08k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Benson County, ND were Educational Services (386 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (226 people), and Public Administration (218 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($131,250), Utilities ($118,250), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($85,703).

Employment

Occupations

2.08k

2024 Value

± 186

−1%

1 Year decline

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benson County, ND declined at a rate of −1%, from 2.1k employees to 2.08k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benson County, ND, are Management Occupations (403 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (278 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (195 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benson County, ND.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.08k

2024 Value

± 186

−1%

1 Year decline

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benson County, ND declined at a rate of −1%, from 2.1k employees to 2.08k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benson County, ND, are Educational Services (386 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (226 people), and Public Administration (218 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Benson County, ND, though some of these residents may live in Benson County, ND and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,488

Median earning men ± $6,530

$40,787

Median earning women ± $4,782

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($87,188), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,000), and Manufacturing ($64,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($57,031), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,344), and Public Administration ($51,250).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

Y-Axis

2.83%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 428k people employed in North Dakota. This represents a 2.83% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Dakota.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

8
Construction
6
Finance and Insurance
5
Accommodation and Food Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$14.4k
Accommodation and Food Services
$5.31k
Wholesale Trade
$2.18k
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Benson County, ND awarded 62 degrees. The student population of Benson County, ND in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 105 male students and 220 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Benson County, ND are American Indian or Alaska Native (50 and 80.6%) and White (12 and 19.4%).

The largest universities in Benson County, ND by number of degrees awarded are Cankdeska Cikana Community College (62 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Benson County, ND are Liberal Arts & Sciences (15 and 24.2%), Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (12 and 19.4%), and General Business Administration & Management (9 and 14.5%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 325 students enrolled in Benson County, ND, 32.3% men and 67.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in American Indian or Alaska Native with 273 records, of which 66.7% were women and 33.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
15 degrees awarded
Social Work
9 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
9 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Benson County, ND was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 15 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Benson County, ND according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

62 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cankdeska Cikana Community College with 62 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 21 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Benson County, ND, which is 0.512 times less than the 41 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was American Indian or Alaska Native students. These 50 degrees mean that there were 4.17 times more degrees awarded to American Indian or Alaska Native students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 12 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($3,600) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($350) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Benson County, ND was $90,000 in 2024, which is 0.271 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $83,100 to $90,000, a 8.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Benson County, ND is 73.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Benson County, ND have an average commute time of 16.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Benson County, ND is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benson County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.479%.

Housing

Property

$90,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,066

$1,480

Median Property Taxes

±$136

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Benson County, ND the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Benson County, ND compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.1% of the housing units in Benson County, ND were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Benson County, ND compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$64,033

Median Household Income

± $5,343

2.03k

Number of Households

± 173

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.03k households in Benson County, ND declined from $64,033 from the previous year's value of $68,049.

The following chart displays the households in Benson County, ND distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Benson County, ND is from North Dakota.

0.432

2023 Wage GINI in North Dakota

0.436

2022 Wage GINI in North Dakota

In 2023, the income inequality in North Dakota was 0.432 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.922% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Dakota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Dakota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.9%)
Carpooled (9.9%)
Walked (7.37%)

In 2024, 73.9% of workers in Benson County, ND drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.9%) and those who walked to work (7.37%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benson County, ND have a shorter commute time (16.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.13% of the workforce in Benson County, ND have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Benson County, ND compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Benson County, ND distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Benson County, ND have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benson County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.479%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

25.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benson County, ND (1.48k out of 5.78k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Benson County, ND is Native American, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 28.3% of the children was living in poverty in Benson County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 29.5 in Benson County, ND. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 0.297 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.6% of the population of Benson County, ND has health coverage, with 28.6% on employee plans, 38.2% on Medicaid, 10.7% on Medicare, 10.8% on non-group plans, and 1.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Benson County, ND see 5,809 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,809 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2885 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2872 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

5,809 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Benson County, ND

Primary care physicians in Benson County, ND see an average of 5,809 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,809 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Benson County, ND in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 35.1% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 31.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.4%

Uninsured

28.6%

Employer Coverage

38.2%

Medicaid

10.7%

Medicare

10.8%

Non-Group

1.38%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benson County, ND grew by 35% from 7.72% to 10.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Benson County, ND changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 157 in Benson County, ND.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Benson County, ND.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 42.1% in Benson County, ND.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Benson County, ND.