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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Benton County

Washington · 206,873 residents · 1,700 sq mi
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Benton County is a county of 206,873 people in Washington. Growth has run 45% since 2000, or 64,398 more people. Getting to work takes 22 minutes on average. Households earn $72,046 at the median, near the US median. About 32% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $255,000, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.3
US median: 38.8
Average education
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 53%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
206,873
+45%since 2000
from 142,475 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.3
+6%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,700 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
103K133K163K193K223K19902000201020202024Benton County
2024213K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.5%(13,498)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.4%(15,347)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.8%(16,171)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197%(14,560)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(12,213)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.4%(27,683)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.1%(27,093)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.1%(22,879)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412%(24,899)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.6%(19,788)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.5%(9,262)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(3,480)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,046
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,044 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$34,287
+61%since 2000
from $21,301 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
48.1%
+11.4 ptssince 2009
from 36.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade8.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.5%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 4.7%
Construction4%
US avg: 1.2%
Other services3.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services2.2%
US avg: 0.8%
Public administration1.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$255,000
+53%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $111,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,027
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $566 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
67.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 68.7% in 2000
32.1% rent
Persons per household
2.73 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.74 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.5
+20%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.7%(116,457)
Black0.9%(1,227)
Hispanic / Latino12.5%(17,806)
Asian2.2%(3,104)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic65.6%(135,718)
Black1.3%(2,621)
Hispanic / Latino23.8%(49,339)
Asian3%(6,244)
Other3.8%(7,812)
Segregation Score
28
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican20.3%(40,702)
Cuban0.4%(772)
Colombian0.2%(468)
Puerto Rican0.2%(454)
Spaniard0.2%(428)
Salvadoran0.2%(318)
Guatemalan0.1%(245)
Honduran0%(75)
Argentine0%(74)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.7%(1,492)
Filipino0.5%(1,050)
Chinese0.5%(934)
Vietnamese0.3%(561)
Korean0.2%(402)
Laotian0.2%(367)
Japanese0.1%(226)
Burmese0.1%(156)
Cambodian0%(71)
Nepalese0%(71)
Pakistani0%(63)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(47)
Taiwanese0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(124)
Chamorro0%(40)
Ancestry
German17.9%(35,881)
English12.8%(25,760)
Irish10.5%(21,016)
American5.4%(10,754)
Norwegian3.8%(7,600)
French2.7%(5,374)
Swedish2.7%(5,359)
Italian2.5%(5,097)
Scottish2.4%(4,788)
Dutch2.2%(4,421)
Polish1.3%(2,674)
Danish1.2%(2,322)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.2%(2,317)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(2,268)
British1%(1,971)
Russian0.6%(1,265)
French Canadian0.6%(1,251)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,223)
Finnish0.6%(1,170)
Swiss0.4%(720)
Czech0.3%(658)
Canadian0.3%(629)
Portuguese0.3%(518)
Croatian0.3%(517)
Hungarian0.2%(494)
Austrian0.2%(441)
Romanian0.2%(366)
Arab0.2%(337)
Greek0.1%(286)
Iraqi0.1%(264)
Slovak0.1%(252)
Bulgarian0.1%(238)
Iranian0.1%(237)
Belgian0.1%(215)
Ethiopian0.1%(202)
Brazilian0.1%(189)
Armenian0.1%(174)
Lebanese0.1%(118)
Australian0.1%(103)
Palestinian0.1%(101)
Moroccan0%(65)
Slovene0%(56)
Serbian0%(55)
Nigerian0%(48)
Turkish0%(44)
Jordanian0%(38)
Barbadian0%(35)
Latvian0%(31)
Egyptian0%(30)
Guyanese0%(27)
Israeli0%(21)
Syrian0%(17)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.6%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 26.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.0%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
12.3%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 9.8% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.7 min
+50%since 2000
from 14.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2011
from 6.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
61.9%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 64.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
41.4%
+3.7 ptssince 2009
from 37.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Foreign born
11.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.1%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 15.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married36.3%(30,415)
Married51%(42,762)
Widowed2.4%(2,034)
Divorced10.3%(8,643)
Women 15+
Never married29.1%(24,243)
Married50.4%(42,055)
Widowed7.3%(6,085)
Divorced13.2%(11,014)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.1%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 15.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
58.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
24.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
68.8%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
39.4%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.9%(2,963)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(2,933)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.9%(4,647)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War5.7%(744)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.4%(308)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 12,944 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Benton County to nearby counties

BENTON COUNTY VS
Franklin County
Income$86,714+20%
Home value$379,300+49%
Population102,612−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BENTON COUNTY VS
Walla Walla County
Income$74,202+3%
Home value$408,900+60%
Population62,361−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BENTON COUNTY VS
Morrow County
Income$75,448+5%
Home value$240,400−6%
Population12,602−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BENTON COUNTY VS
Umatilla County
Income$67,728−6%
Home value$282,600+11%
Population81,119−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Benton County, Washington?

Benton County, Washington has about 206,873 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Benton County, Washington?

The typical household in Benton County, Washington earns about $72,046 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Benton County, Washington expensive?

In Benton County, Washington, the median home is worth about $255,000, and the typical rent is about $1,027 a month.

How educated are people in Benton County, Washington?

About 31.6% of adults age 25 and over in Benton County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Benton County, Washington?

About 10.2% of people in Benton County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Benton County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Benton County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 94,313 residents, a change of about 84 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →