Benton County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Benton County, MS 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 average
-
D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Benton County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,589 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.6 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.20% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,074 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Benton County declined by 4.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,589 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Benton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.5% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,431 18.9% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,538 20.3% on par
- Gen X 45–60 1,553 20.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,553 20.5% +2.7 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 Mississippi, 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 51.0% of the people living in Benton County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.0% Mississippi 48.5%
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,468 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.10% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Benton County is about 18% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Benton County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $33,951 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $730 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Benton County is about 3.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $730 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Benton County spend about 65 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 271 hours, about 11.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Benton County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.5 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 64.9 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 271 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,387 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 1.9% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,497 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 363 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Benton County is 32 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.8% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Benton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Benton County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.7% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.0% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Benton County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Benton County, MS is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,589 residents against a local median of 28,122. Where Benton County, MS breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 87% below the local median of $257,292 at $33,951.
The counties themselves spread $256,418 on median home price, so Benton County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benton County, MS has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, MS | 7,589 | $46,468 #5/6 | $33,951 #6/6 | 32.5 min #5/6 |
| Tippah County, MS | 21,523 | $53,704 | $340,816 | 21.3 min |
| Marshall County, MS | 33,979 | $53,460 | $177,591 | 30.7 min |
| Union County, MS | 28,122 | $56,904 | $257,292 | 21.5 min |
| Hardeman County, TN | 25,433 | $46,091 | $166,145 | 30.7 min |
| Fayette County, TN | 43,762 | $87,617 | $422,563 | 33.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Benton County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Benton County, Mississippi?
About 7,589 people live in Benton County, Mississippi, in 3,074 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Benton County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Benton County, Mississippi has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 21% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Benton County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($33,951 against $46,468), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $730 a month takes about 19% 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, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Benton County, Mississippi is only 3.1%, 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, Mississippi have a college degree?
10.8% of adults in Benton County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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