Benson County, North Dakota

ND · FIPS 38005 Republican

Located in North Dakota, Benson County has a population of 5,808 residents and a median age of 32.6 years, making it the #2,826 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.6%. The median home value is $90,000, and the median household income is $64,033, which is 15% below the national median.

5,808
Population
#2,826 of 3,222
$64,033
Median Income
-14.8% #1,704 of 3,222
32.6 years
Median Age
-16.2% #3,098 of 3,222
25.6%
Poverty Rate
+103.2% #3,010 of 3,222

Demographics

Benson County has a population of 5,808, making it the #2,826 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.6 years, which is 16.2% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Benson County is $64,033, ranking #1,704 out of 3,222 counties — 14.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.6% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#1,704
$64,033
-14.8%
vs nation
47th percentile
Per Capita#2,711
$27,991
-32.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poverty#3,010
25.6%
+103.2%
vs nation
7th percentile
Unemployment#944
3.4%
-35.1%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Benson County is $90,000 (-68.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $588/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.1%.

Home Value#3,091
$90,000
-68.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Rent#3,071
$588
-49.4%
vs nation
4th percentile
Homeownership#1,856
73.1%
+13.5%
vs nation
42th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Benson County, 21.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.1% below the national average, ranking #1,675 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.9% −35.1% vs nation
Rank #1,675 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Benson County is 60.1 years. 25.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,058
60.1
-20.0%
vs nation
0th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,770
25.4%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Diabetes#2,672
13.5%
+21.3%
vs nation
15th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,606
41.2%
+10.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,676
5.7
+0.8%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,614
5.1
+14.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Uninsured Rate#686
6.7%
-36.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,712
32.1%
+21.7%
vs nation
14th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,810
14.9%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile

Substance Use

26.7% of adults in Benson County smoke , 42.1% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#3,093
26.7%
+48.7%
vs nation
2th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,652
42.1%
+11.1%
vs nation
16th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,732
20.4%
+2.6%
vs nation
45th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 73.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 45.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,554
73.4
+272.0%
vs nation
0th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,767
45.8
+126.4%
vs nation
2th percentile

Families & Children

28.3% of children in Benson County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 67.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,997
67.6
+209.5%
vs nation
0th percentile
Child Poverty#2,756
28.3%
+49.0%
vs nation
12th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Benson County is 43.5%. The mean commute time is 17.8 min, which is 35.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
43.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
17.8 min −35.4% vs nation
Rank #3,020 of 3,222
6th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Benson County voted Republican with a margin of 18.4%. The vote was 39.9% Dem / 58.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +18.4%
39.9% 58.3%
Dem 1,994 votes Rep
2020 REP +13.9%
41.9% 55.8%
Dem 1,961 votes Rep
2016 REP +4.4%
43.4% 47.8%
Dem 1,940 votes Rep
2012 DEM +17.0%
57.4% 40.4%
Dem 2,148 votes Rep
2008 DEM +35.8%
67.2% 31.4%
Dem 2,334 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Benson County, North Dakota

Benson County, North Dakota has a total population of 5,808, making it the 2,826th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Benson County is 32.6 years, which is 16.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Benson County is $64,033, which ranks #1,704 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Benson County is $90,000, 68.1% below the national median. Renters in Benson County pay a median gross rent of $588 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Benson County, 21.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.8 min.

Benson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is American Indian (non-Hispanic) at 50.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (42.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).

All data for Benson County, North Dakota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.