City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Benton City, WA

Benton City's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

3,559
Residents
$52,581
Median income
$262,800
Median home
$1,472
Median rent (state)
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Starting with Benton City, WA - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Benton City.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WA-BENTON-CITY-WA · Benton City, WA 3,559 pop · income 24th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 3,559
  • INC-MID $52,581
  • COL-ABOVE 107.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 24th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Tahoka
  • HOME-MID $262,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Tahoka, TX ( $5 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Benton City

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Benton City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Benton City on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,559.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $52,581. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Benton City - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Benton City places in the 24th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

24th
percentile, household income
58th
percentile, home value
70th
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: Benton City, WA

Benton City is a small town in Washington, home to 3,559 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Benton City report a median income of $52,581 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.5%. Typical homes in Benton City are valued around $262,800, and the median resident age is 27.1 years. Educational attainment runs 8.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 49 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1533% from five years earlier.

Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Washington at 107.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,472 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Washington's average monthly utility costs around $188 (state average). Commute times here average 24.9 minutes, with 78.2% driving alone and 6.8% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 out of 100 (High).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Benton City's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to work and mobility to population change to schools and households to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Benton City, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Benton City?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Washington, the closest population matches are Canyon Creek (3,556 residents, $67,295 income); Mattawa (3,553 residents, $41,250 income); Marietta-Alderwood (3,569 residents, $62,243 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Saylorville, IA (3,559 residents); Elgin, OK (3,560 residents); Palo Cedro, CA (3,561 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 2

What does the journey to work look like in Benton City?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.2%. The reported mean trip to work is 24.9 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 3

Is Benton City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +532 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +15.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 49 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

See the national growth ranking →

4. Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Benton City?

The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.

The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 8.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

See how the family ranking is built →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Benton City?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Value / income
5.0×
Home value
$262,800
Household income
$52,581

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

3,559 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$52,581 /yr

Low income · poverty 5.5% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

City profile score · Benton City, WA

27/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate C+
5.5%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income F
$52,581

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Cost of living F
107.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
8.9%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Benton City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Household income, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateHousehold incomeCost of livingBachelor's+ share 27 F
Benton City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 62/100 (C+) · 5.5%
  • Household income: 24/100 (F) · $52,581
  • Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 3/100 (F) · 8.9%

How does Benton City compare to other US cities?

Benton City measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 24% higher than other cities
Home value 58% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% 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 Benton City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Washington only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Washington-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Benton City near the bottom of Washington's cities

Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Benton City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Benton City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#496 of 565
12th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#442 of 565
22nd percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#300 of 598
49th percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#554 of 599
7th percentile in Washington
How in-state ranks are ordered

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 Washington only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

24thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

24th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Benton City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$262,800 42nd percentile more affordable than 42% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Benton City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Benton City's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.0×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,876 of 15,516
More affordable than 17% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,753 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 5.0×, Benton City sits in the moderate band: national rank #12,876 of 15,516 and #9,753 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$52,581 Benton City, WA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Benton City, WA Benton City, WA's median household income ($52,581) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Benton City, WA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Benton City, WA median $52,581/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Benton City, WA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Benton City, WA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 8.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
3,559
Median Income
$52,581
Median Home Value
$262,800
Median Age
27.1
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Labor force participation
56.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
8.9%

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
3,400 residents3,600 residents3,800 residents4,000 residents4,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,487 residents 4,019 residents ▲ +15.3%
Benton City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 3,487 residents
2021 3,557 residents
2022 3,726 residents
2023 3,824 residents
2024 3,878 residents
2025 4,019 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
49
housing units authorized
Single-Family
39
detached homes
Multifamily
10
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
13.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 8
2021 73
2022 35
2023 19
2024 49

Permit volume increased 1533% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.9 minutes
Drive Alone
78.2%
Carpool
15.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
6.8%

Based on 1,314 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Washington statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $188

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Washington at $188 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $55 ).

These are Washington statewide averages, not a meter reading for Benton City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Washington's BEA cost-of-living index is 107.0 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Benton City is $1,472/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Washington statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 / 100 (High).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Washington statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Benton City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Benton City compares to similar-size Washington cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Benton City (this city) 3,559 $52,581
Canyon Creek 3,556 $67,295
Mattawa 3,553 $41,250
Marietta-Alderwood 3,569 $62,243
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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