Benton County, MO

County

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2023 Population

19,887

1.38% 1-year growth

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

54.4

0.555% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

16.7%

5.04% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$52,200

3.92% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$164,700

6.46% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

7,067

0.0708% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Benton County, MO had a population of 19.9k people with a median age of 54.4 and a median household income of $52,200. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Benton County, MO grew from 19,616 to 19,887, a 1.38% increase and its median household income grew from $50,229 to $52,200, a 3.92% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Benton County, MO are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.39%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.01%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.895%), and White (Hispanic) (0.724%).

None of the households in Benton County, MO 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.

99.6% of the residents in Benton County, MO are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Benton County, MO was $164,700, and the homeownership rate was 83.7%.

Most people in Benton County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Benton County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Benton County, MO borders Camden County, MO, Henry County, MO, Hickory County, MO, Morgan County, MO, Pettis County, MO, and St. Clair County, MO.

United States Missouri

Population & Diversity

Benton County, MO is home to a population of 19.9k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.865% of Benton County, MO residents were born outside of the country (172 people).

In 2023, there were 27.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.4k people) in Benton County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 674 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 201 Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

99.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.6% of Benton County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Benton County, MO was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benton County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
18.4k ± 188
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
674 ± 181
Two+ (Hispanic)
201 ± 81

1.9%

Hispanic Population

377 people

1.9% of the people in Benton County, MO are hispanic (377 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Benton County, MO 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 Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
37,430 ± 4,735 people
India
22,246 ± 3,655 people
China
18,085 ± 3,297 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 37,430 Missouri residents, followed by India with 22,246 and China with 18,085.

Foreign-Born Population

0.865%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

172 people

1.09%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

214 people

As of 2023, 0.865% of Benton County, MO residents (172 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, MO was 1.09%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,028 ± 152
Gulf War (1990s)
295 ± 93
Gulf War (2001-)
202 ± 87

Benton County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.48 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Benton County, MO employs 7.07k people. The largest industries in Benton County, MO are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,056 people), Construction (963 people), and Retail Trade (912 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($90,156), Information ($66,875), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,821).

Males in Missouri have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $55,490. The income inequality in Missouri (measured using the Gini index) is 0.455, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

7.07k

2023 Value

± 548

0.0708%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton County, MO grew at a rate of 0.0708%, from 7.06k employees to 7.07k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benton County, MO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (821 people), Sales & Related Occupations (711 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (689 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benton County, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (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

7.07k

2023 Value

± 548

0.0708%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton County, MO grew at a rate of 0.0708%, from 7.06k employees to 7.07k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benton County, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,056 people), Construction (963 people), and Retail Trade (912 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Benton County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Benton County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,965

Median earning men ± $2,962

$33,158

Median earning women ± $3,503

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($84,844), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($63,864), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,268), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,161), and Manufacturing ($40,469).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.17%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% 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 11.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

47
Other Services (except Public Administration)
35
Construction
27
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$20.7k
Retail Trade
$12.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.13k
Construction

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, MO went to Donald J. Trump with 77.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 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 (77.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (20.8%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.45%)
Libertarian Party

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

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

Josh Hawley

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Eric Schmitt

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

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 Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Missouri

Missouri is currently represented by 8 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 Missouri 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 Missouri.

Measure

In 2022, 0.699% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.592% 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 Missouri.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.48M), Some college (1.12M), and Bachelors Degree (864k).

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, MO was $164,700 in 2023, which is 0.543 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $154,700 to $164,700, a 6.46% increase. The homeownership rate in Benton County, MO is 83.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Benton County, MO have an average commute time of 30.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Benton County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Benton County, MO is $52,200. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Benton County, MO was Census Tract 4601 with a value of $61,401, followed by Census Tract 4602 and Census Tract 4604, with respective values of $60,870 and $51,507.

In 2023, 13% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benton County, MO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.239%.

Housing

Property

$164,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$12,123

$6,837

Median Property Taxes

±$489

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, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

83.7%

Homeownership

2023

63.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 83.7% of the housing units in Benton County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 82.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Benton County, MO 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 4601
Census Tract 4602
Census Tract 4604

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Benton County, MO was Census Tract 4601 with a value of $61,401, followed by Census Tract 4602 and Census Tract 4604, with respective values of $60,870 and $51,507.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Benton County, MO 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.

$52,200

Median Household Income

± $4,080

8.17k

Number of Households

± 555

In 2023, the median household income of the 8.17k households in Benton County, MO grew to $52,200 from the previous year's value of $50,229.

The following chart displays the households in Benton County, MO 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, MO is from Missouri.

0.455

2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.457

2021 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2022, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.455 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.432% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (79.8%)
Carpooled (10.9%)
Worked At Home (5.05%)

In 2023, 79.8% of workers in Benton County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (5.05%).

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

30.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benton County, MO have a longer commute time (30.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 7.22% of the workforce in Benton County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Benton County, MO 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, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Benton County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benton County, MO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.239%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benton County, MO (3.26k out of 19.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Benton County, MO is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

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, 26.9% of the children was living in poverty in Benton County, MO. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 7.2%.

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

90.4% of the population of Benton County, MO has health coverage, with 27.4% on employee plans, 18.1% on Medicaid, 23.8% on Medicare, 17.2% on non-group plans, and 3.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Benton County, MO see 3271 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.957% increase from the previous year (3240 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 6636 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1327 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,271 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Benton County, MO

Primary care physicians in Benton County, MO see an average of 3,271 patients per year. This represents a 0.957% increase from the previous year (3,240 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 13% between 18 and 34 years, 38.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 30.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.58%

Uninsured

27.4%

Employer Coverage

18.1%

Medicaid

23.8%

Medicare

17.2%

Non-Group

3.9%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benton County, MO declined by 17.8% from 11.7% to 9.58%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Benton County, MO 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 N/A in Benton County, MO.

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

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 39.9% in Benton County, MO.

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