Benton County, Arkansas Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Benton County, Arkansas, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Benton County, Arkansas. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Benton County, Arkansas. The estimated population of Benton County, Arkansas is 278,774 people, with a median age of 35.6.

We can look at the total population in Benton County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
278,774
+1.92%
+10.70%
2020
273,510
+2.92%
-
2019
265,759
+2.62%
-
2018
258,980
+2.84%
-
2017
251,823
 - -

Population of Benton County, Arkansas by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
67.7%
74.2%
 -8.76%
Black/African American
1.8%
1.6%
 +12.50%
Native
1%
1.4%
 -28.57%
Hispanic
17.1%
16.3%
 +4.91%
Asian
4.1%
3.7%
 +10.81%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.7%
0.5%
 +40.00%
Two Or More Races
7.2%
2.2%
 +227.27%
Other
0.4%
0.2%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Benton County, Arkansas by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 35.6 +0.28% 35 +0.57% 36.2 -0.28%
2020 35.5 +0.28% 34.8 +0.58% 36.3 +0.55%
2019 35.4 +0.28% 34.6 +0.29% 36.1 +0.28%
2018 35.3 +0.28% 34.5 +0.29% 36 +0.28%
2017 35.2 - 34.4 - 35.9 -

The median age of Benton County, Arkansas gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 18,795 +11.6% 18,019 +4.88% 21,071 18,915
10 to 19 18,801 +6.74% 18,160 +9.07% 20,099 19,864
20 to 29 16,100 +10.71% 16,007 +10.33% 17,887 17,720
30 to 39 18,782 +14.68% 18,618 +11.92% 21,678 20,934
40 to 49 17,106 +10.33% 16,872 +6.81% 18,922 18,047
50 to 59 14,802 +12.21% 15,145 +3.77% 16,686 15,724
60 to 69 10,802 +17.33% 11,788 +20.73% 12,756 14,414
70+ 9,444 +10.97% 12,582 +7.49% 10,510 13,547

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Benton County, Arkansas is $76,887.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Benton County.

  • Under 25
    $51,750.00
  • 25 to 44
    $85,680.00
  • 45 to 64
    $88,844.00
  • 65 and over
    $52,524.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Benton County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Benton County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Benton County, Arkansas is currently $105,776.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

10.55% of households in Benton County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Benton County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.02%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.20%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.90%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.46%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.01%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.85%
  • $200,000 or more
    10.55%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Benton County is $39,045.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Benton County by the total population of Benton County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Benton County, Arkansas, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Benton County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    14.63%
  • Bachelor's degree
    35.46%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    8.51%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    39.44%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.95%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Benton County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Benton County over the age of 16 is 213,879.

Of those people, a total of 66.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Benton County is 64.10%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 15,054 34.70% 9.90%
20 to 24 years 15,945 78.00% 5.40%
25 to 29 years 19,662 83.90% 3.50%
30 to 34 years 20,977 85.20% 2.20%
35 to 44 years 40,758 85.60% 2.00%
45 to 54 years 34,345 82.50% 1.70%
55 to 59 years 15,911 77.50% 2.50%
60 to 64 years 14,142 56.10% 3.40%
65 to 74 years 22,065 23.50% 5.40%
75 years and over 15,020 5.00% 1.60%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Benton County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 168,854 64.60% 2.70%
Black or African American 3,587 72.30% 2.70%
American Indian and Alaska Native 2,617 67.30% 3.40%
Asian 8,701 73.70% 2.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1,317 67.90% 0.10%
Other 6,175 71.60% 3.30%
Two or more races 22,628 71.50% 4.90%
Hispanic or Latino 32,379 75.40% 3.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 151,336 63.60% 2.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Benton County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Benton County is 137,111, with median earnings of $42,676.00.

Women in Benton County, Arkansas earning approximately 71.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 137,111 $42,676.00
Male 74,644 $50,255.00
Female 62,467 $36,001.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 15,485 $82,862.00
Business and Financial 9,237 $70,244.00
Computer and Mathematical 6,683 $80,126.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,709 $69,253.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 625 $64,904.00
Community and Social Service 1,499 $41,706.00
Legal 839 $109,150.00
Educational and Library 7,632 $45,602.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 2,696 $49,000.00
Healthcare Practitioners 6,819 $61,164.00
Healthcare Support 3,051 $25,113.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,308 $37,446.00
Law Enforcement 1,143 $43,224.00
Food Preparation and Serving 6,407 $16,372.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 4,168 $26,189.00
Personal Care and Service 3,277 $20,672.00
Sales 16,502 $51,136.00
Office and Administrative Support 14,216 $33,858.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 430 $35,658.00
Construction and Extraction 8,173 $35,943.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 3,878 $45,512.00
Production 10,977 $33,323.00
Transportation and Material Moving 4,254 $38,482.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 9,602 $92,876.00 5,883 $72,782.00
Business and Financial 4,123 $88,816.00 5,114 $64,685.00
Computer and Mathematical 5,556 $85,069.00 1,127 $67,125.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,481 $71,377.00 228 $54,813.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 412 $74,848.00 213 $44,599.00
Community and Social Service 427 $44,331.00 1,072 $41,151.00
Legal 385 $132,521.00 454 $61,591.00
Educational and Library 1,880 $55,266.00 5,752 $44,113.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,558 $55,496.00 1,138 $35,650.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,973 $103,979.00 4,846 $54,528.00
Healthcare Support 415 $17,750.00 2,636 $26,017.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 929 $36,852.00 379 $40,398.00
Law Enforcement 864 $43,981.00 279 $39,858.00
Food Preparation and Serving 2,790 $16,764.00 3,617 $16,155.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 2,192 $27,992.00 1,976 $23,552.00
Personal Care and Service 605 $24,803.00 2,672 $19,901.00
Sales 8,814 $69,375.00 7,688 $35,447.00
Office and Administrative Support 3,755 $39,440.00 10,461 $32,131.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 372 $35,658.00 58 $31,250.00
Construction and Extraction 7,932 $36,253.00 241 $31,555.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 3,731 $45,625.00 147 $44,141.00
Production 7,025 $36,757.00 3,952 $29,678.00
Transportation and Material Moving 3,568 $42,215.00 686 $24,821.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 101,109 households in Benton County, with an average household size of 2.73 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 74,468 families in Benton County with an average family size of 3.19 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 59,790 4,474 10,204 26,641
Average Household Size 3.24 3.17 3.38 1.26
Total Families 59,790 4,474 10,204 0
Average Household Size 3.22 2.78 3.15 0

Poverty

Of the 74,468 families in Benton County, 5.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Benton County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 110,752 housing units in Benton County, Arkansas.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 101,109 91.29%
Vacant 9,643 8.71%

28.65% of the total 110,752 housing units in Benton County are rental units. This is approximately 31,727 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 67,711 are occupied by the owner - or 61.14% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Benton County is $1,002.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Benton County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    1,671
  • Less than $500
    1,352
  • $500 to $999
    14,459
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    12,440
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    2,276
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    814
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    210
  • $3,000 or more
    176

Property Value

The median value of a property in Benton County is $211,100.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Benton County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    2,415
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    5,239
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    10,693
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    13,340
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    16,683
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    13,179
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    5,054
  • $1,000,000 or more
    1,108

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Benton County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Benton County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,571
  • 1940 to 1949
    1,468
  • 1950 to 1959
    2,429
  • 1960 to 1969
    4,171
  • 1970 to 1979
    13,018
  • 1980 to 1989
    14,996
  • 1990 to 1999
    25,388
  • 2000 to 2009
    27,905
  • 2010 to 2013
    18,379
  • 2014 or later
    427

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Benton County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    2,772
  • 1 vehicle available
    28,498
  • 2 vehicles available
    43,456
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    26,383

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Benton County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Benton County that commute to work in a particular way.

20.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Benton County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    3,519
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    13,815
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    21,883
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    23,428
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    22,266
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    9,560
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    14,249
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    2,791
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    3,079
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    4,802
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    1,829
  • 90 or more minutes
    1,203

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Benton County, Arkansas in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Benton County, Arkansas

We have data for 38 places in Benton County, Arkansas. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.