Benton County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Benton County, MO 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 83% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,151 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.8 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.86% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,573 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Benton County grew by 9.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,151 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Benton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 31.0% of residents. That is 13.1 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,889 14.3% -6.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,834 14.1% -7.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,527 22.5% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,254 31.0% +13.1 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 Missouri, 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 49.8% of the people living in Benton County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 50.2% Missouri 49.3%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,808 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.01% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Benton County is about 25% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $80,000 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $773 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.8% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Benton County is about 8.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $773 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Benton County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.8 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,169 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,633 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 357 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Benton County is 24 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Benton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Benton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.8% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.6% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Benton County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Benton County, MO is typical in size for this group, 20,151 residents against a local median of 22,328, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Benton County, MO apart most is commute: 23.9 min, 51% above the local median of 15.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $80,000 against a local median of $144,791, 45% below it. The counties themselves spread 11.2 min on commute, so Benton County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benton County, MO has the 3rd lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, MO | 20,151 | $52,808 #4/4 | $80,000 #3/4 | 23.9 min #3/4 |
| Morgan County, MO | 21,717 | $53,120 | $65,000 | 26.5 min |
| Pettis County, MO | 43,397 | $60,475 | $144,791 | 15.8 min |
| Henry County, MO | 22,328 | $57,861 | $162,215 | 15.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Benton County, Missouri.
How big is Benton County, Missouri by population?
About 20,151 people live in Benton County, Missouri, in 8,573 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 52.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Benton County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Benton County, Missouri has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 31% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Benton County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($80,000 against $52,808), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $773 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Benton County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Benton County, Missouri is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Benton County, Missouri have a college degree?
14.1% of adults in Benton County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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