Benton County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Benton County, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 84% of counties in Iowa
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 91% of counties in Iowa
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,722 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.8 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.00% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,201 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Benton County grew by 24.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,722 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Benton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.0% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,684 18.2% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,900 19.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,923 23.0% +4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,860 18.9% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.6% of the people living in Benton County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 50.4% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Benton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Benton County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,152 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.50% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Benton County is about 16% higher than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $45,471 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $826 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.0% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Benton County is about 4.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $826 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Benton County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.3 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,115 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,037 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 689 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Benton County is 24 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Benton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Benton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.0% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Benton County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
Benton County, IA is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 25,722 residents against a local median of 130,985. Where Benton County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 80% below the local median of $232,669 at $45,471.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.7 min against a local median of 16.9 min, 40% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 40% above the local median it puts Benton County, IA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $211,274 on median home price, so Benton County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benton County, IA has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | $87,152 #1/4 | $45,471 #4/4 | 23.7 min #4/4 |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | $77,708 | $298,275 | 20.6 min |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $66,338 | $87,001 | 13.9 min |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | $78,016 | $232,669 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Benton County, Iowa.
How big is Benton County, Iowa by population?
About 25,722 people live in Benton County, Iowa, in 10,201 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Benton County, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Benton County, Iowa has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Benton County, Iowa an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($45,471 against $87,152), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $826 a month takes about 11% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Benton County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Benton County, Iowa is only 2.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Benton County, Iowa?
21.5% of adults in Benton County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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