City · Minnesota
Benson, Minnesota
Benson, city, in Swift County, Minnesota. Benson had 3,444 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,480 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,441 (±29). GEOID 2705212.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,444
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,480 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,441 ±29
Median household income
$52,821
±$9,160 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$156,000
±$15,276 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$982
±$72 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Benson and what county is it in?
Benson is a city in Swift County, Minnesota. It covers 3.2 square miles of land, 1,093 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 Benson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,444 people lived in Benson on July 1, 2025, down 1.0% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 3,480 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,441 (±29).
| Measure | Benson | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,441 ±29 | 9,748 | +363 |
| Households | 1,499 ±103 | 4,121 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.15 | 2.31 | +0.19 |
| Housing units | 1,674 ±102 | 4,706 | no clear change |
Benson's population since 2000
From 3,376 in 2000 to 3,444 in 2025: up 2.0%. 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 39.7 years old; 24.3% are under 18 and 22.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.4%.
| Measure | Benson | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.7 ±3.1 | 41.8 | −4.6 |
| Under 18 years | 24.3% ±2.7 pts | 22.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.5% ±2.6 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Male | 49.9% ±3.1 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.4% ±3.5 pts | 7.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.3% ±3.6 pts | 86.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±2.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±1.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.0% ±2.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.3% ±2.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 24.0% ±4.9 pts | 19.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.5% ±2.8 pts | 8.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.7% ±4.3 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.4% ±6.9 pts | 24.2% | +10.4 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.0% ±3.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.5% ±4.8 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.5% ±2.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 1,499 households earn less than $52,821 a year (±$9,160), against $60,412 in Swift County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $50,536 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Benson | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,821 ±$9,160 | $60,412 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $73,050 ±$8,822 | $84,064 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,511 ±$4,071 | $36,134 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8% ±3.1 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.5% ±5.3 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.5% ±2.9 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.7% ±4.4 pts | 84.3% | – |
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 61.8% of Benson's occupied homes and renters 38.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $156,000 by its owner (±$15,276). The median renter pays $982 a month including utilities, and 51.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Benson | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $156,000 ±$15,276 | $161,400 | +$25,546 |
| Median gross rent | $982 ±$72 | $920 | +$129 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.5% ±16.1 pts | 47.2% | +24.4 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,332 ±$207 | $1,373 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.8% ±5.9 pts | 72.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.2% ±5.9 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Housing units | 1,674 ±102 | 4,706 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.1% ±2.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.6% ±9.0 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.7% ±5.1 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.8% ±3.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 20.9% ±6.0 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.5% ±4.9 pts | 7.1% | – |
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 Benson building?
Builders took permits for 25 new housing units in Benson in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 7.3 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
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?
83.2% of Benson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.5 minutes.
| Measure | Benson | Swift County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.4% ±4.8 pts | 59.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±2.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.2% ±6.8 pts | 77.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.6% ±3.6 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 9.1% ±5.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.2% ±1.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.5 min ±3.3 | 19.4 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 Benson?
1 census tract lies mostly in Benson, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Swift County | 3,584 | $53,179 |
| Tract 9603Swift County | 1,489 | $95,833 |
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 Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Benson is the 5,919th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 200th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Benson ranks 531st of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 200th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 416th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 191st | 562 |
| Median household income | 531st | 558 |
| Per capita income | 490th | 562 |
| Median home value | 504th | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 275th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 168th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 245th | 559 |
| Median age | 349th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 504th | 561 |
| Travel time to work | 490th | 562 |
Benson's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, 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?
18 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.