Benton County, IA

County

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2023 Population

25,698

0.179% 1-year growth

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

43.3

0.698% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

7.88%

5.04% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$84,742

6.67% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$198,400

4.97% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

13,285

0.69% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Benton County, IA had a population of 25.7k people with a median age of 43.3 and a median household income of $84,742. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Benton County, IA grew from 25,652 to 25,698, a 0.179% increase and its median household income grew from $79,444 to $84,742, a 6.67% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Benton County, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (94.7%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.54%), Other (Hispanic) (0.93%), White (Hispanic) (0.537%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.354%).

None of the households in Benton County, IA 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.

99.8% of the residents in Benton County, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Benton County, IA was $198,400, and the homeownership rate was 84.3%.

Most people in Benton County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Benton County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Benton County, IA borders Black Hawk County, IA, Buchanan County, IA, Iowa County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Linn County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, and Tama County, IA.

United States Iowa Cedar Rapids, IA

Population & Diversity

Benton County, IA is home to a population of 25.7k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.798% of Benton County, IA residents were born outside of the country (205 people).

In 2023, there were 37.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (24.3k people) in Benton County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 654 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 239 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

99.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.8% of Benton County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Benton County, IA was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benton County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
24.3k ± 103
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
654 ± 109
Other (Hispanic)
239 ± 65

1.86%

Hispanic Population

479 people

1.86% of the people in Benton County, IA are hispanic (479 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Benton County, IA 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 Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,604 ± 5,034 people
India
12,351 ± 2,723 people
Vietnam
7,795 ± 2,165 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,604 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,351 and Vietnam with 7,795.

Foreign-Born Population

0.798%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

205 people

0.721%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

185 people

As of 2023, 0.798% of Benton County, IA residents (205 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Benton County, IA was 0.721%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
528 ± 115
Gulf War (2001-)
494 ± 126
Gulf War (1990s)
178 ± 60

Benton County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.07 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Benton County, IA employs 13.3k people. The largest industries in Benton County, IA are Manufacturing (2,348 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,015 people), and Educational Services (1,450 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($76,250), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($72,396), and Public Administration ($71,009).

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,745. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.442, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

13.3k

2023 Value

± 647

0.69%

1 Year growth

± 6.81%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton County, IA grew at a rate of 0.69%, from 13.2k employees to 13.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benton County, IA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,456 people), Management Occupations (1,349 people), and Production Occupations (1,078 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benton County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

13.3k

2023 Value

± 647

0.69%

1 Year growth

± 6.81%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton County, IA grew at a rate of 0.69%, from 13.2k employees to 13.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benton County, IA, are Manufacturing (2,348 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,015 people), and Educational Services (1,450 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Benton County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Benton County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,487

Median earning men ± $2,439

$44,061

Median earning women ± $2,494

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Manufacturing ($77,019), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,917), and Public Administration ($74,063).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($70,858), Manufacturing ($62,381), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,750).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% 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 10.9%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

54
Other Services (except Public Administration)
53
Construction
33
Retail Trade

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$40.7k
Manufacturing
$32.2k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$29k
Wholesale Trade

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Benton County, IA went to Donald J. Trump with 62.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (35.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.27%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (62.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (35.2%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.27%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Benton County, IA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.66% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.685% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (751k), Some college (564k), and Bachelors Degree (469k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Benton County, IA was $198,400 in 2023, which is 0.654 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $189,000 to $198,400, a 4.97% increase. The homeownership rate in Benton County, IA is 84.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Benton County, IA have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Benton County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Benton County, IA is $84,742. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Benton County, IA was Census Tract 9601 with a value of $109,333, followed by Census Tract 9605 and Census Tract 9602, with respective values of $102,128 and $95,119.

In 2023, 7.23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benton County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.47%.

Housing

Property

$198,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$10,561

$8,520

Median Property Taxes

±$477

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 Benton County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

84.3%

Homeownership

2023

57.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 84.3% of the housing units in Benton County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 83.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9601
Census Tract 9605
Census Tract 9602

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Benton County, IA was Census Tract 9601 with a value of $109,333, followed by Census Tract 9605 and Census Tract 9602, with respective values of $102,128 and $95,119.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Benton County, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$84,742

Median Household Income

± $3,490

10.1k

Number of Households

± 548

In 2023, the median household income of the 10.1k households in Benton County, IA grew to $84,742 from the previous year's value of $79,444.

The following chart displays the households in Benton County, IA 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Benton County, IA is from Iowa.

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2022, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.723% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (79.9%)
Worked At Home (10.4%)
Carpooled (6.8%)

In 2023, 79.9% of workers in Benton County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.4%) and those who carpooled to work (6.8%).

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

25.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benton County, IA have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.99% of the workforce in Benton County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 7.23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benton County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.47%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

7.88% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benton County, IA (1.98k out of 25.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Benton County, IA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

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 2023, 8.9% of the children was living in poverty in Benton County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.3%.

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.

Health

97% of the population of Benton County, IA has health coverage, with 57.8% on employee plans, 11.5% on Medicaid, 15.2% on Medicare, 10.4% on non-group plans, and 2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Benton County, IA see 4236 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.889% decrease from the previous year (4274 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4282 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2569 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,236 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Benton County, IA

Primary care physicians in Benton County, IA see an average of 4,236 patients per year. This represents a 0.889% decrease from the previous year (4,274 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 16.3% between 18 and 34 years, 40.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.01%

Uninsured

57.8%

Employer Coverage

11.5%

Medicaid

15.2%

Medicare

10.4%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benton County, IA grew by 11.3% from 2.71% to 3.01%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 42 in Benton County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Benton County, IA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 37.8% in Benton County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Benton County, IA.