Benton County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47005 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Benton County has a population of 16,006 residents and a median age of 47.8 years, making it the #2,099 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.8%. The median home value is $153,600, and the median household income is $51,746, which is 31% below the national median.

16,006
Population
#2,099 of 3,222
$51,746
Median Income
-31.1% #2,677 of 3,222
47.8 years
Median Age
+22.9% #375 of 3,222
17.8%
Poverty Rate
+41.6% #2,424 of 3,222

Demographics

Benton County has a population of 16,006, making it the #2,099 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.5%
Native Born
2.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Benton County is $51,746, ranking #2,677 out of 3,222 counties — 31.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.8% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#2,677
$51,746
-31.1%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,424
$30,044
-27.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poverty#2,424
17.8%
+41.6%
vs nation
25th percentile
Unemployment#2,187
5.3%
-0.2%
vs nation
32th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Benton County is $153,600 (-45.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $768/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.1%.

Home Value#2,183
$153,600
-45.5%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#2,356
$768
-34.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Homeownership#1,499
75.1%
+16.7%
vs nation
53th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Benton County, 12.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.0% below the national average, ranking #3,040 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.8% −62.0% vs nation
Rank #3,040 of 3,222
6th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Benton County is 70.5 years. 22.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,792
70.5
-6.1%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,334
22.5%
+15.0%
vs nation
26th percentile
Diabetes#2,381
12.6%
+13.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,627
41.3%
+10.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,072
6.9
+22.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,969
5.6
+25.2%
vs nation
6th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,350
13.1%
+25.4%
vs nation
25th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,464
30.4%
+15.2%
vs nation
22th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,787
18.7%
+29.8%
vs nation
11th percentile

Substance Use

24.1% of adults in Benton County smoke , 39.8% are obese , and 17.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,954
24.1%
+34.2%
vs nation
6th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,016
39.8%
+5.0%
vs nation
36th percentile
Excessive Drinking#684
17.5%
-12.2%
vs nation
78th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,588
39.6
+22.4%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Benton County is 8.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 27.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 33.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,081
8.9
+10.9%
vs nation
30th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,231
27.4
+39.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,261
29.9
+67.1%
vs nation
8th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,572
33.8
+67.0%
vs nation
9th percentile

Families & Children

27.3% of children in Benton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 34.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,600
34.5
+58.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Child Poverty#2,689
27.3%
+43.7%
vs nation
14th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Benton County is 56.3%. The mean commute time is 28.1 min, which is 1.7% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.1 min +1.7% vs nation
Rank #1,246 of 3,222
61th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Benton County voted Republican with a margin of 63.0%. The vote was 18.1% Dem / 81.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.0%
18.1% 81.1%
Dem 7,260 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.0%
21.1% 78.1%
Dem 7,260 votes Rep
2016 REP +51.3%
23.3% 74.6%
Dem 6,322 votes Rep
2012 REP +25.7%
36.2% 61.9%
Dem 6,223 votes Rep
2008 REP +16.2%
40.8% 57%
Dem 6,479 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Benton County, Tennessee

Benton County, Tennessee has a total population of 16,006, making it the 2,099th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Benton County is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Benton County is $51,746, which ranks #2,677 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Benton County is $153,600, 45.5% below the national median. Renters in Benton County pay a median gross rent of $768 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Benton County, 12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.1 min.

Benton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Benton County, Tennessee 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.