Benton County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Benton County, TN 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 87% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 81% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 76% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Benton County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,006 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.13% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.1 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,121 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Benton County declined by 0.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,006 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Benton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,766 17.3% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,676 16.7% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,741 23.4% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,724 23.3% +6.0 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 Tennessee, 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 50.9% of the people living in Benton County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.1% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,848 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.68% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Benton County is about 26% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Benton County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $64,700 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $768 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Benton County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $768 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Benton County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Benton County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.6 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,856 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,429 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 649 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Benton County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.8% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Benton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Benton County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.8 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.7% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Benton County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Benton County, TN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, TN | 16,006 | $51,848 #2/3 | $64,700 #3/3 | 18.8 min #2/3 |
| Henry County, TN | 32,412 | $50,759 | $201,161 | 16.7 min |
| Carroll County, TN | 28,641 | $52,371 | $110,526 | 21.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Benton County, Tennessee.
How big is Benton County, Tennessee by population?
About 16,006 people live in Benton County, Tennessee, in 7,121 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 45.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Benton County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Benton County, Tennessee has 37 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Benton County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($64,700 against $51,848), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $768 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Benton County, Tennessee?
10.8% of adults in Benton County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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