Benton County, Tennessee

County in TN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

16,006

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

47.8

years ∙ half population younger than 47.8, half older

Diversity Index

19.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Benton County is a county in Tennessee, United States.

Location

County in TN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.070948° N, 88.071232° W

DMS36° 04′ 15.41″ N, 88° 04′ 16.44″ W

Population Density & area

40.59/sq mi (15.67/km²)

Total Area

436.2 sq mi (1,129.8 km²)

Land Area

394.3 sq mi (1,021.2 km²) · 90.4%

Water Area

41.9 sq mi (108.6 km²) · 9.6%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.4% male

Male 49.4%

Female 50.6%

males per 100 females

Benton County 97.6

Tennessee 96.4

United States 98

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Benton County 2.5%

Tennessee 6.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

47.8

years ∙ half population younger than 47.8, half older

Benton County

47.8

Tennessee

38.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

79.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Benton County 79.7

Tennessee 64.6

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.1%	22.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	55.7%	60.7%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.2%	17.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	79.7	64.6	64.4
Child dependency ratio	36.2	36.5	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	43.5	28.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

89.7%

Black

1.5%

Asian

Hispanic

2.8%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

19.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Benton County 19.2%

Tennessee 46.5%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Benton County population

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.8%	7.4%	19.3%
Mexican	2.3%	3.8%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	2.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.2%	92.6%	80.7%
One race	92.8%	88.9%	76.4%
White	89.7%	71%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.5%	15.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	1%	1.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.6%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.4%	3.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62% family

Family 62%

Non family 38%

% family households

Benton County 62%

Tennessee 64.2%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.22

persons per household

Benton County

2.22

Tennessee

2.45

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Benton County population

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Total households	7,121	2,824,277	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.22	2.45	2.53
Family households	4,415	1,813,072	82,990,528
Average family size	2.79	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	3,154	1,321,068	60,637,388
Other families	1,261	492,004	22,353,140
Male householder	465	135,443	6,572,819
Female householder	796	356,561	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,706	1,011,205	46,236,968
One-person households	2,392	832,106	37,140,836
Male householder	994	377,158	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	443	115,070	5,225,110
Female householder	1,398	454,948	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	818	220,217	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	314	179,099	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

8,569

housing units

Benton County 8,569

Tennessee 3,143,670

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

83.1% occupied

Occupied 83.1%

Vacant 16.9%

vacancy rate

Benton County 16.9%

Tennessee 10.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

71.7%

Single family houses

71.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

2.5%

Mobile homes

25.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1980

Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

28.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

47.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

19.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.1%	11%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	63.8%	53.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	27.1%	35.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.2%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	5.4%	8.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	31.2%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	48.5%	45.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	13.6%	20.4%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1980	1988	1981
Total housing units	8,569	3,143,670	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

75.1% owners

Renter-occupied 24.9%

Owner-occupied 75.1%

homeownership rate

Benton County 75.1%

Tennessee 66.9%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.25

Owner-occupied

2.14

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Benton County 2.25

Tennessee 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Total occupied units	7,121	2,824,277	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.4%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	34%	39.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.9%	15.7%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	25.7%	18.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.1%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.9%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.4%	5.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	28.9%	30.9%	33.1%
2 vehicles	41.8%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	23.9%	25.9%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	49.5%	34.1%	51.4%
Electricity	46.6%	63.7%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.1%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.6%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2.4%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$153,600

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Benton County

$153,600

Tennessee

$286,700

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

31.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31.2%

Owners without a mortgage

Renters

39.1%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Property value
Median Value	$153,600	$286,700	$332,700
Under $100,000	36.3%	13%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	30%	18.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.9%	21%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	11.6%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.7%	15.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.5%	3.8%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	38.4%	57.9%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	61.6%	42.1%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,130	$1,566	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$392	$464	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$768	$1,189	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

12.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Benton County 12.8%

Tennessee 31.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

11.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Benton County 11.5%

Tennessee 10%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,947

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

8.7%

K–12

79.2%

College / Undergraduate

9.4%

Graduate / Professional

2.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

11.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Benton County

11.4%

Tennessee

36.1%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,947	1,593,794	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	8.7%	5.4%	5.7%
K–12	79.2%	70.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.7%	5.3%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	22.9%	21%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.8%	21.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	27.8%	22.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	12.1%	24%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	9.4%	18.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.6%	5.3%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	11.4%	36.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	83.5%	79.8%	82%
Private school	16.5%	20.2%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

11,685

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.6%

HS graduate

48.9%

Some college no degree

19.6%

Associates degree

7.2%

Bachelors degree

7.5%

Graduate or professional degree

5.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

56.6% · 43.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

59.3% · 40.7%

HS graduate

53.8% · 46.2%

Some college no degree

42.4% · 57.6%

Associates degree

42.3% · 57.7%

Bachelors degree

41.5% · 58.5%

Graduate or professional degree

27.3% · 72.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Population (25+)	11,685	4,870,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	5.9%	3.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.6%	6.3%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	48.9%	31.2%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.6%	19.9%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.2%	7.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.8%	31.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	7.5%	19.4%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.3%	11.7%	14.1%
High School or higher	88.5%	90%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$42,645

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$35,395

HS graduate

$36,333

Some college or associates

$47,691

Bachelors degree

$52,078

Graduate or professional degree

$56,250

Poverty Rate

7.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

30.1%

HS graduate

14.8%

Some college or associates

16.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Benton County	Tennessee	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$42,645	$48,058	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$35,395	$31,689	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,333	$38,347	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$47,691	$44,566	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$52,078	$61,810	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$56,250	$76,817	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	30.1%	27.9%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	14.8%	15.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	16.2%	9.7%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.6%	4.3%	4.5%

Insights for Benton County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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