Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Benson - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Benson ranks in the 44th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
44th
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Benson, PA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 166 residents in Benson, a small town within Pennsylvania. The typical household in Benson brings in $65,865 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.1%. Home values in Benson run a median of $83,300, and the median resident age is 53.6 years. About 14.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).
Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Pennsylvania at 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $973 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Pennsylvania's average monthly utility costs around $260 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 64.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
Population
166 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Pennsylvania
Median Household Income
$65,865/yr
Poverty 2.1%
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.6 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average
How does Benson compare to other US cities?
Where Benson sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income44% higher than other cities
Home value4% pricier than other cities
Median rent12% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Benson against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Pennsylvania-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Benson near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities
Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Benson ranks #1,623 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Benson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#923 of 1,765
48th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1,623 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#1,641 of 1,790
8th percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,314 of 1,856
28th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,359 of 1,861
26th percentile in Pennsylvania
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Pennsylvania only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
44th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Benson's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$83,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 96% of 15,600 US cities
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Income distribution context
Benson, PA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Benson, PA. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)14.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
166
Median Income
$65,865
Median Home Value
$83,300
Median Age
53.6
Poverty Rate
2.1%
Labor force participation
59.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.7%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Benson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.1%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
21.6%
Other
2.3%
Based on 88 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Pennsylvania - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$88
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$52
avg/month
Total Utilities
$260
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Pennsylvania state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Pennsylvania state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Benson sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS PA Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Benson, PA?
What is the population of Benson, PA?+
166 people live in Benson, PA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Benson, PA?+
Median annual household income in Benson runs $65,865, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Benson?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Benson; the closest available measure is the Pennsylvania state average, a cost of living index of 97.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Pennsylvania vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Benson, PA?+
Benson's median home value sits at $83,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.