Benton County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Benton County, Minnesota has a population of 41,593 across 408 square miles, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.40 bn in 2024, 975 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 94 7(a) approvals worth $42.4 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Benton County
How many people live in Benton County
- Population41,593
- Households16,719
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$74,410
- Median age36.2
- Median gross rent$982 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$271,000
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,499
- Population under 1810,527
- Share under 1825.3 percent
- Population 65 and over5,827
- Share 65 and over14.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6425,239
- Civilian labor force23,255
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over74.9 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties25th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1174th
Benton County is the 25th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.3 percent against 14.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Benton County
Is Benton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population41,377
- Births, 2024491
- Deaths, 2024354
- Natural change, 2024137
- Net domestic migration, 202448
- Net international migration, 202477
- Total net migration, 2024125
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-208
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1412th
The county has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benton County
Where people moving to Benton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,704
- People arriving, from those returns2,948
- Adjusted gross income arriving$84.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,520
- Largest single originBenton County Non-migrants (15,515 households)
- Largest single destination (15,515 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County Non-migrants | 15,515 | 32,127 | $1.22 bn |
| Stearns County | 757 | 1,351 | $40.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 210 | 336 | $8.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 205 | 365 | $10.3 m |
| Sherburne County | 159 | 268 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 90 | 159 | $4.6 m |
| Hennepin County | 73 | 104 | $3.2 m |
| Morrison County | 68 | 119 | $4.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Benton County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Benton County
What the Benton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.40 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.35 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.1 percent
- GDP change over five years27.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties27th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1127th
- GDP per resident$57,648
Output grew 2.1 percent in the latest year and 27.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Benton County
Who employs people in Benton County
- Covered employment, annual average17,384
- Establishments reporting1,063
- Average annual pay$55,955
- Average weekly wage$1,076
- Sector 31-33, employment3,397
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,193
- Sector 23, employment2,569
- Sector 23, average annual pay$84,088
- Sector 62, employment2,335
- Sector 62, average annual pay$37,523
- Sector 44-45, employment1,823
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,436
- Sector 42, employment1,275
- Sector 72, employment1,038
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,397 | 68 | $62,193 |
| Sector 23 | 2,569 | 194 | $84,088 |
| Sector 62 | 2,335 | 131 | $37,523 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,823 | 96 | $37,436 |
| Sector 42 | 1,275 | 40 | $72,133 |
| Sector 72 | 1,038 | 58 | $19,661 |
| Sector 48-49 | 494 | 44 | $50,999 |
| Sector 56 | 492 | 49 | $49,634 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,397 jobs, 19.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Benton County
What businesses operate in Benton County
- Establishments, all industries975
- Employment at those establishments16,944
- Annual payroll$909.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Benton County
What is being built in Benton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202482
- Declared construction value permitted$26.0 m
- Single family units authorised75
- Multifamily units authorised7
- Multifamily share of units8.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$317,622
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.9
Multifamily is 8.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benton County
How much SBA lending happens in Benton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded94
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$42.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$451,367
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,248,900
- Largest single approval$3,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,343
- Jobs per approval14.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals50
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter75
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals5.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMachine Shops (10)
- Most active lenderFalcon National Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded47
- 504 gross approval dollars$29.3 m
- Average 504 approval$623,553
- Median 504 approval$416,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (39)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$71.7 m
The average approval of $451,367 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
Do SBA loans in Benton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded36
- Paid in full36
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full36
- Status: Exempt from disclosure55
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
Which parts of Benton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- SAUK RAPIDS, approvals43
- FOLEY, approvals20
- SAINT CLOUD, approvals15
- RICE, approvals9
- Royalton, approvals4
- OAK PARK, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SAUK RAPIDS | 43 | $18,253,800 |
| FOLEY | 20 | $9,410,200 |
| SAINT CLOUD | 15 | $10,494,600 |
| RICE | 9 | $3,078,400 |
| Royalton | 4 | $699,000 |
| OAK PARK | 2 | $300,500 |
| SARTELL | 1 | $192,000 |
SAUK RAPIDS accounts for 43 approvals against 20 in FOLEY. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
How big is Benton County
- Land area408 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties83rd of 87
- Width, east to west28.7 mi
- Height, north to south18.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land102
- Establishments per square mile2.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Benton County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Benton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population41,593
- Households16,719
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$74,410
- Median age36.2
Common questions
Benton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benton County, Minnesota?
41,593, in 16,719 households, ranking 25th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benton County growing?
The population has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 491 births against 354 deaths, with net migration of 125. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benton County?
$74,410. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $271,000, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $982 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Benton County?
975 establishments, employing 16,944 people with an annual payroll of $909.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Benton County?
Average annual pay is $55,955, or $1,076 a week, across 17,384 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Benton County?
94 7(a) approvals totalling $42.4 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 47 504 approvals worth $29.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Benton County get paid back?
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 36 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Benton County?
82 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $26.0 m. Multifamily was 8.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Benton County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Benton County come from?
The largest single origin is Benton County Non-migrants, with 15,515 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,520 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Benton County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Benton County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.