Benton County, Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Benton County, Iowa, 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, Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Benton County, Iowa. The estimated population of Benton County, Iowa is 25,654 people, with a median age of 43.1.

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
25,654
+0.38%
+0.03%
2020
25,558
 -0.3% -
2019
25,636
+0.04%
-
2018
25,626
 -0.08% -
2017
25,646
 - -

Population of Benton County, Iowa 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
95.3%
96.6%
 -1.35%
Black/African American
0.3%
0.7%
 -57.14%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
1.7%
1.4%
 +21.43%
Asian
0.3%
0.3%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
0.8%
 +162.50%
Other
0.2%
0%
 0.00%

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, Iowa 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 43.1 0% 42.1 +0.72% 44 -0.68%
2020 43.1 +1.17% 41.8 +0.48% 44.3 +1.84%
2019 42.6 0% 41.6 -0.48% 43.5 +0.46%
2018 42.6 +1.19% 41.8 +1.7% 43.3 +1.41%
2017 42.1 - 41.1 - 42.7 -

The median age of Benton County, Iowa 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 1,516 +1.86% 1,554 -3.26% 1,541 1,502
10 to 19 1,891 -3.26% 1,741 -0.47% 1,826 1,732
20 to 29 1,336 +1.98% 1,215 -1.14% 1,362 1,201
30 to 39 1,570 -4.52% 1,427 -8.87% 1,499 1,303
40 to 49 1,487 +2.14% 1,718 -3.79% 1,516 1,652
50 to 59 2,104 -6.01% 2,118 -6.22% 1,978 1,988
60 to 69 1,544 +12.13% 1,351 +11.6% 1,737 1,514
70+ 1,338 +8.84% 1,736 +6.6% 1,458 1,845

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Benton County, Iowa is $72,334.00.

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
    $65,750.00
  • 25 to 44
    $89,495.00
  • 45 to 64
    $84,543.00
  • 65 and over
    $44,141.00

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, Iowa is currently $86,433.00.

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.

5.48% 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
    13.43%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.18%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.39%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.41%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    20.56%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.55%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.48%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Benton County is $35,047.00.

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, Iowa, 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
    9.50%
  • Bachelor's degree
    23.64%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.88%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    52.72%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.26%

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 20,325.

Of those people, a total of 66.20% 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 64.50%.

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 1,272 50.70% 4.70%
20 to 24 years 1,250 77.80% 3.40%
25 to 29 years 1,313 88.70% 2.90%
30 to 34 years 1,376 88.60% 1.70%
35 to 44 years 3,069 89.10% 2.10%
45 to 54 years 3,426 87.20% 2.80%
55 to 59 years 2,065 84.60% 3.90%
60 to 64 years 1,891 62.20% 1.80%
65 to 74 years 2,586 26.30% 0.30%
75 years and over 2,077 6.10% 0.00%

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 19,667 65.90% 2.40%
Black or African American 67 73.10% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 20 70.00% 0.00%
Asian 65 75.40% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 120 77.50% 14.00%
Two or more races 386 72.50% 9.60%
Hispanic or Latino 280 82.90% 18.50%
Not Hispanic or Latino 19,526 65.80% 2.20%

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 13,105, with median earnings of $44,619.00.

Women in Benton County, Iowa earning approximately 72.30% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 13,105 $44,619.00
Male 7,234 $52,568.00
Female 5,871 $37,990.00

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 1,138 $74,167.00
Business and Financial 528 $61,786.00
Computer and Mathematical 226 $83,125.00
Architecture and Engineering 148 $90,625.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 93 $61,858.00
Community and Social Service 150 $65,500.00
Legal 89 $212,083.00
Educational and Library 749 $35,625.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 116 $47,222.00
Healthcare Practitioners 838 $46,395.00
Healthcare Support 459 $29,909.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 102 $62,750.00
Law Enforcement 88 $64,868.00
Food Preparation and Serving 403 $9,280.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 523 $44,519.00
Personal Care and Service 286 $18,750.00
Sales 1,065 $38,029.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,683 $39,692.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 139 $31,188.00
Construction and Extraction 1,181 $48,926.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 658 $49,756.00
Production 1,092 $43,591.00
Transportation and Material Moving 594 $45,741.00

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 638 $81,538.00 500 $61,250.00
Business and Financial 278 $68,779.00 250 $50,455.00
Computer and Mathematical 181 $90,250.00 45 $56,875.00
Architecture and Engineering 145 $90,813.00 3 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 90 $61,824.00 3 $0.00
Community and Social Service 34 $60,833.00 116 $66,000.00
Legal 53 $250,001.00 36 $73,750.00
Educational and Library 83 $48,977.00 666 $30,000.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 67 $77,708.00 49 $37,841.00
Healthcare Practitioners 70 $41,000.00 768 $46,657.00
Healthcare Support 74 $42,989.00 385 $29,116.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 81 $65,469.00 21 $31,719.00
Law Enforcement 44 $73,750.00 44 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 114 $4,286.00 289 $11,736.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 427 $49,883.00 96 $8,718.00
Personal Care and Service 50 $48,796.00 236 $16,731.00
Sales 597 $51,979.00 468 $32,500.00
Office and Administrative Support 290 $52,273.00 1,393 $38,587.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 125 $32,063.00 14 $11,563.00
Construction and Extraction 1,170 $48,906.00 11 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 606 $53,500.00 52 $0.00
Production 807 $47,188.00 285 $35,096.00
Transportation and Material Moving 568 $46,481.00 26 $9,773.00

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 10,075 households in Benton County, with an average household size of 2.52 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 7,092 families in Benton County with an average family size of 2.95 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 5,957 458 677 2,983
Average Household Size 2.97 3.36 3.29 1.3
Total Families 5,957 458 677 0
Average Household Size 2.96 2.78 3 0

Poverty

Of the 7,092 families in Benton County, 4.70% 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 11,071 housing units in Benton County, Iowa.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 10,075 91.00%
Vacant 996 9.00%

13.53% of the total 11,071 housing units in Benton County are rental units. This is approximately 1,498 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 8,393 are occupied by the owner - or 75.81% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Benton County is $683.00.

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
    184
  • Less than $500
    264
  • $500 to $999
    908
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    310
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    4
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    9
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    3

Property Value

The median value of a property in Benton County is $166,100.00.

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
    546
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,442
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,699
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,372
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,032
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,089
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    166
  • $1,000,000 or more
    47

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
    3,584
  • 1940 to 1949
    504
  • 1950 to 1959
    995
  • 1960 to 1969
    970
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,164
  • 1980 to 1989
    702
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,479
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,298
  • 2010 to 2013
    374
  • 2014 or later
    1

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
    330
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,800
  • 2 vehicles available
    4,111
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    3,834

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.

25.8 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
    901
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,404
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,112
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,189
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,349
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,115
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,667
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    717
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    656
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,307
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    255
  • 90 or more minutes
    263

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Benton County, Iowa 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, Iowa

We have data for 32 places in Benton County, Iowa. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.