Benton County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Benton County, Missouri has a population of 20,151 across 704 square miles, up 6.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $613.0 m in 2024, 383 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $17.3 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Benton County
How many people live in Benton County
- Population20,151
- Households8,573
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$52,567
- Median age54.5
- Median gross rent$773 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$177,900
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,411
- Population under 183,486
- Share under 1817.3 percent
- Population 65 and over6,322
- Share 65 and over31.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,343
- Civilian labor force7,279
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.7 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties55th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1872nd
Benton County is the 55th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.4 percent against 17.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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 base6.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,394
- Births, 2024172
- Deaths, 2024312
- Natural change, 2024-140
- Net domestic migration, 2024194
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024196
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,959
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents371st
The county has grown 6.29 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving717
- People arriving, from those returns1,407
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$63,954
- Largest single originBenton County Non-migrants (7,051 households)
- Largest single destination (7,051 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County Non-migrants | 7,051 | 14,192 | $368.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 207 | 387 | $9.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 207 | 417 | $18.0 m |
| Jackson County | 96 | 190 | $5.8 m |
| Pettis County | 94 | 191 | $4.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 79 | 167 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 78 | 151 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 50 | 99 | $2.8 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$613.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$568.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.8 percent
- GDP change over five years44.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties65th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2256th
- GDP per resident$30,418
Output grew 7.8 percent in the latest year and 44.7 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 average3,736
- Establishments reporting556
- Average annual pay$38,196
- Average weekly wage$735
- Sector 44-45, employment723
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,341
- Sector 72, employment440
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,849
- Sector 31-33, employment248
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$46,500
- Sector 23, employment182
- Sector 23, average annual pay$51,687
- Sector 52, employment123
- Sector 81, employment90
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 723 | 64 | $31,341 |
| Sector 72 | 440 | 48 | $18,849 |
| Sector 31-33 | 248 | 14 | $46,500 |
| Sector 23 | 182 | 60 | $51,687 |
| Sector 52 | 123 | 25 | $55,279 |
| Sector 81 | 90 | 32 | $33,650 |
| Sector 42 | 82 | 13 | $42,674 |
| Sector 71 | 74 | 10 | $19,606 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 723 jobs, 19.4 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 industries383
- Employment at those establishments2,399
- Annual payroll$75.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.0
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, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$765,000
- Single family units authorised4
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$191,250
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.5
Multifamily is 0.0 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 recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$17.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,083,531
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,275,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)201
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer37.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChicken Egg Production (2)
- Most active lenderOakStar Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$766,000
- Average 504 approval$255,333
- Median 504 approval$249,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.5
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$18.1 m
The average approval of $1,083,531 sits well above the median of $500,000, 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. 37.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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 recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
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 lending4
- WARSAW, approvals10
- COLE CAMP, approvals3
- EDWARDS, approvals2
- Lincoln, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WARSAW | 10 | $5,166,500 |
| COLE CAMP | 3 | $6,320,000 |
| EDWARDS | 2 | $850,000 |
| Lincoln | 1 | $5,000,000 |
WARSAW accounts for 10 approvals against 3 in COLE CAMP. 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 area704 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties25th of 115
- Width, east to west24.9 mi
- Height, north to south32.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.54
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.
- Population20,151
- Households8,573
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$52,567
- Median age54.5
Common questions
Benton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benton County, Missouri?
20,151, in 8,573 households, ranking 55th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benton County growing?
The population has grown 6.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 172 births against 312 deaths, with net migration of 196. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benton County?
$52,567. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $177,900, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $773 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Benton County?
383 establishments, employing 2,399 people with an annual payroll of $75.9 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 $38,196, or $735 a week, across 3,736 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?
16 7(a) approvals totalling $17.3 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $766,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Benton County?
4 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $765,000. Multifamily was 0.0 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 7,051 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,954 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.