City · Kentucky
Benham, Kentucky
Benham, city, in Harlan County, Kentucky. Benham had 455 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 10.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 512 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 725 (±198). GEOID 2105662.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
455
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 512 · ACS 2020-2024: 725 ±198
Median household income
$44,946
±$11,246 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$53,000
±$7,358 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$769
±$71 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Benham and what county is it in?
Benham is a city in Harlan County, Kentucky. It covers 0.2 square miles of land, 2,188 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Benham, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 455 people lived in Benham on July 1, 2025, down 10.1% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 512 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 725 (±198).
| Measure | Benham | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 725 ±198 | 25,772 | no clear change |
| Households | 328 ±91 | 10,731 | +102 |
| Average household size | 2.16 ±0.34 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 371 ±90 | 13,036 | no clear change |
Benham's population since 2000
From 599 in 2000 to 455 in 2025: down 24.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Benham 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 Benham?
The median resident of Benham is 43.6 years old; 16.0% are under 18 and 21.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.4%.
| Measure | Benham | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 ±6.4 | 40.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.0% ±5.8 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.1% ±10.4 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Male | 47.3% ±6.9 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.9% ±8.7 pts | 93.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.4% ±8.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.1% ±2.4 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 30.5% ±12.4 pts | 27.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.3% ±3.2 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.1% ±9.7 pts | 81.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.8% ±8.9 pts | 13.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.6% ±7.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.1% ±10.8 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 Benham earn?
Half of Benham's 328 households earn less than $44,946 a year (±$11,246), against $41,693 in Harlan County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $51,791 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Benham | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,946 ±$11,246 | $41,693 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $56,887 ±$12,516 | $55,003 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,274 ±$5,601 | $22,319 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.7% ±9.1 pts | 27.4% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.4% ±21.0 pts | 35.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.3% ±13.4 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.7% ±7.8 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.8% ±5.5 pts | 84.2% | – |
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 Benham?
Owners occupy 82.0% of Benham's occupied homes and renters 18.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $53,000 by its owner (±$7,358). The median renter pays $769 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Benham | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $53,000 ±$7,358 | $73,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $769 ±$71 | $678 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±58.2 pts | 41.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $867 ±$65 | $979 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.0% ±11.7 pts | 71.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.0% ±11.7 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Housing units | 371 ±90 | 13,036 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±41.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 100.0% ±9.6 pts | 67.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 68.2% ±12.2 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.1% ±12.5 pts | 8.1% | – |
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 Benham building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Benham in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.2 across Kentucky.
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 Benham work and get to work?
59.7% of Benham's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 14.4 minutes.
| Measure | Benham | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 45.2% ±11.8 pts | 41.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% ±12.0 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 59.7% ±20.6 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 26.9% ±15.6 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.8% ±2.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.9% ±10.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.4 min ±4.6 | 23.8 min | no clear change |
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 Benham?
No census tract lies mostly in Benham; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701Harlan County | 1,596 | $41,310 |
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 Benham) · Census block assignment files
How does Benham compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Benham is the 13,597th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 307th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Benham is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 307th | 418 |
Benham's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Benham 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 Benham?
26 of the 57 figures for Benham 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 Benham 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 Benham.