HomeNorth DakotaBenson County
Benson County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Benson County, North Dakota has a population of 5,808 across 1,389 square miles, down 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $365.5 m in 2024, 79 establishments operate here.
86 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Benson County
How many people live in Benson County
- Population5,808
- Households2,025
- Average household size2.87
- Median household income$64,033
- Median age32.6
- Median gross rent$588 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$90,000
- Home value to household income1.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,325
- Population under 181,947
- Share under 1833.5 percent
- Population 65 and over922
- Share 65 and over15.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,939
- Civilian labor force2,151
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties21st of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2826th
Benson County is the 21st largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 1.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 33.5 percent against 15.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Benson County
Is Benson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.42 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,960
- Births, 2024101
- Deaths, 202492
- Natural change, 20249
- Net domestic migration, 2024-55
- Net international migration, 202427
- Total net migration, 2024-28
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-275
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2808th
The county has lost 3.42 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benson County
Where people moving to Benson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving84
- People arriving, from those returns164
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,679
- Largest single originBenson County Non-migrants (1,894 households)
- Largest single destination (1,894 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County Non-migrants | 1,894 | 4,415 | $123.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 44 | 81 | $2.3 m |
| Ramsey County | 40 | 83 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Benson 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.
Benson County
What the Benson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$365.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$376.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-2.9 percent
- GDP change over five years40.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties27th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2601st
- GDP per resident$62,932
Output grew -2.9 percent in the latest year and 40.5 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.
Benson County
Who employs people in Benson County
- Covered employment, annual average1,973
- Establishments reporting148
- Average annual pay$53,294
- Average weekly wage$1,025
- Sector 42, employment116
- Sector 42, average annual pay$85,100
- Sector 23, employment103
- Sector 23, average annual pay$88,797
- Sector 62, employment75
- Sector 62, average annual pay$22,139
- Sector 48-49, employment14
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$68,397
- Sector 44-45, employment12
- Sector 54, employment5
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 42 | 116 | 17 | $85,100 |
| Sector 23 | 103 | 14 | $88,797 |
| Sector 62 | 75 | 9 | $22,139 |
| Sector 48-49 | 14 | 5 | $68,397 |
| Sector 44-45 | 12 | 4 | $19,845 |
| Sector 54 | 5 | 4 | $93,729 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 116 jobs, 5.9 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.
Benson County
What businesses operate in Benson County
- Establishments, all industries79
- Employment at those establishments809
- Annual payroll$34.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.6
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.
Benson County
What is being built in Benson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$520,650
- Single family units authorised2
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,325
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benson County
How much SBA lending happens in Benson County
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$133,000
- Average 504 approval$133,000
- Median 504 approval$133,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (1)
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benson County
How big is Benson County
- Land area1,389 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties19th of 53
- Width, east to west61.1 mi
- Height, north to south36.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.06
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 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- 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 Benson 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 Benson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,808
- Households2,025
- Average household size2.87
- Median household income$64,033
- Median age32.6
Common questions
Benson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benson County, North Dakota?
5,808, in 2,025 households, ranking 21st of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benson County growing?
The population has fallen 3.42 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 101 births against 92 deaths, with net migration of -28. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benson County?
$64,033. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $90,000, which is 1.4 times income, and median gross rent is $588 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Benson County?
79 establishments, employing 809 people with an annual payroll of $34.8 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 Benson County?
Average annual pay is $53,294, or $1,025 a week, across 1,973 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Benson County?
2 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $520,650. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Benson County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Benson County come from?
The largest single origin is Benson County Non-migrants, with 1,894 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,679 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 Benson 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 Benson 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.