City · Arizona
Benson, Arizona
Benson, city, in Cochise County, Arizona. Benson had 5,532 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,355 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,417 (±19). GEOID 0405770.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,532
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,355 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,417 ±19
Median household income
$49,346
±$8,101 (90% margin)
Arizona: $79,964
Median home value
$148,900
±$35,505 (90% margin)
Arizona: $394,500
Median gross rent
$783
±$44 (90% margin)
Arizona: $1,543
Where is Benson and what county is it in?
Benson is a city in Cochise County, Arizona. It covers 41.6 square miles of land, 129 residents per square mile in 2020.
Benson is in the Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Benson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 5,532 people lived in Benson on July 1, 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, slower than Arizona (+6.5%). The 2020 Census counted 5,355 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,417 (±19).
| Measure | Benson | Cochise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,417 ±19 | 125,566 | +539 |
| Households | 2,395 ±235 | 50,982 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.22 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,226 ±289 | 59,666 | no clear change |
Benson's population since 2000
From 4,711 in 2000 to 5,532 in 2025: up 17.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Benson as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Benson?
The median resident of Benson is 50.6 years old; 19.3% are under 18 and 31.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 76.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 14.8%. 3.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Benson | Cochise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.6 ±4.7 | 43.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.3% ±4.6 pts | 20.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.0% ±5.2 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Male | 49.2% ±4.2 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.8% ±4.7 pts | 34.7% | −14.1 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.2% ±6.5 pts | 54.1% | +10.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.7 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.1% ±3.5 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.5% ±1.9 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.5% ±2.8 pts | 26.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 16.4% ±4.3 pts | 17.4% | – |
| With a disability | 20.9% ±4.8 pts | 19.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.7% ±3.3 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.2% ±5.9 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.2% ±6.3 pts | 28.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.9% ±2.2 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.0% ±6.4 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.4% ±5.8 pts | 5.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Benson earn?
Half of Benson's 2,395 households earn less than $49,346 a year (±$8,101), against $59,742 in Cochise County and $79,964 in Arizona. In 2015-2019 it was $40,346 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Benson | Cochise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,346 ±$8,101 | $59,742 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $62,401 ±$7,979 | $78,017 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,633 ±$3,158 | $33,002 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.1% ±4.3 pts | 15.4% | −7.9 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.5% ±4.3 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.7% ±6.4 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.4% ±3.1 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.3% ±4.1 pts | 87.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Benson?
Owners occupy 59.5% of Benson's occupied homes and renters 40.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $148,900 by its owner (±$35,505). The median renter pays $783 a month including utilities, and 49.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Benson | Cochise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $148,900 ±$35,505 | $218,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $783 ±$44 | $995 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.3% ±15.7 pts | 36.8% | −21.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,262 ±$156 | $1,352 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.5% ±7.9 pts | 71.0% | −12.9 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 40.5% ±7.9 pts | 29.0% | – |
| Housing units | 3,226 ±289 | 59,666 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.5% ±6.0 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 39.4% ±7.1 pts | 65.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 41.5% ±7.9 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.5% ±4.0 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.5% ±2.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.1% ±7.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Benson building?
Builders took permits for 84 new housing units in Benson in 2025 (68 in single-family houses), 15.2 per 1,000 residents against 6.8 across Arizona.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Benson work and get to work?
70.5% of Benson's workers drive alone and 8.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.3 minutes.
| Measure | Benson | Cochise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.3% ±6.7 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% ±6.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.5% ±8.2 pts | 74.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.1% ±6.6 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 3.8% ±2.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.3% ±5.0 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.3 min ±5.3 | 23.4 min | +6.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Benson?
1 census tract lies mostly in Benson, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3.01Cochise County | 4,125 | $44,412 |
| Tract 3.04Cochise County | 2,198 | $59,470 |
| Tract 3.05Cochise County | 2,392 | $69,917 |
| Tract 3.03Cochise County | 3,303 | $52,373 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Benson) · Census block assignment files
How does Benson compare with other places in Arizona?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Benson is the 4,629th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 55th-most populous of 91 in Arizona.
Benson ranks 156th of 196 places in Arizona with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 55th | 91 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 49th | 85 |
| Residents per square mile | 169th | 210 |
| Median household income | 156th | 196 |
| Per capita income | 129th | 209 |
| Median home value | 152nd | 189 |
| Median gross rent | 133rd | 168 |
| Poverty rate | 106th | 164 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 79th | 175 |
| Median age | 73rd | 208 |
| Owner-occupied share | 175th | 206 |
| Work from home | 103rd | 119 |
| Travel time to work | 40th | 206 |
Benson's figures with every place in Arizona (CSV)
Every place in Arizona, sortable · Compare Benson with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Benson?
13 of the 57 figures for Benson on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Benson are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Benson.