Benton County, Indiana: commercial real estate data.
Benton County, Indiana had an estimated 8,853 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,708, across 406 square miles. County output reached $623.3 m in 2024, 160 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $4.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Benton County
How many people live in Benton County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,735
- Households3,454
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$65,875
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$774 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$151,000
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,907
- Population under 182,147
- Share under 1824.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,512
- Share 65 and over17.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,076
- Civilian labor force4,146
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.9 percent
- Rank by population among Indiana counties89th of 92
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2585th of 3,222
Benton County is the 89th largest of 92 Indiana counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.6 percent against 17.3 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,853
- Census 2020 base population8,708
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.67 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202492
- Births, 2024115
- Deaths, 2024109
- Natural change, 20246
- Net domestic migration, 202461
- Net international migration, 202425
- Total net migration, 202486
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024117
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1280th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.67 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benton County
Where are people moving to Benton County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving242
- People arriving, from those returns430
- Tax returns filed by households leaving211
- Net household movement31
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-194,000
- Average income of an arriving household$45,120
- Average income of a leaving household$52,668
- Largest single originTippecanoe County (125 households)
- Largest single destinationTippecanoe County (82 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tippecanoe County | 125 | 237 | $5.9 m |
Households arriving report $7,548 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Tippecanoe County, 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 is the Benton County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$623.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$681.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-8.6 percent
- GDP change over five years19.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Indiana areas BEA publishes83rd of 92
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2245th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$71,359
Output grew -8.6 percent in the latest year and 19.9 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
Employment by industry in Benton County
- Covered employment, annual average2,106
- Establishments reporting213
- Average annual pay$51,419
- Average weekly wage$989
- Manufacturing, employment387
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$49,659
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment193
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$50,077
- Wholesale trade, employment176
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$74,072
- Retail trade, employment156
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,835
- Transportation and warehousing, employment103
- Construction, employment79
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 387 | 12 | $49,659 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 193 | 14 | $50,077 |
| Wholesale trade | 176 | 20 | $74,072 |
| Retail trade | 156 | 26 | $26,835 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 103 | 19 | $56,852 |
| Construction | 79 | 24 | $52,374 |
| Other services, except public administration | 57 | 9 | $57,637 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 38 | 8 | $44,376 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 387 jobs, 18.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Benton County
How many businesses are in Benton County?
- Establishments, all industries160
- Employment at those establishments1,214
- Annual payroll$55.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Benton County
Building permits in Benton County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benton County
SBA loans in Benton County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$520,275
- Median 7(a) approval$223,750
- Largest single approval$2,307,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)36
- Jobs per approval4.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$200,000
- Average 504 approval$200,000
- Median 504 approval$200,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$4.4 m
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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Benton County
Do SBA loans in Benton County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
SBA lending by place in Benton County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Otterbein, approvals4
- Fowler, approvals3
- Oxford, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Otterbein | 4 | $630,600 |
| Fowler | 3 | $3,434,500 |
| Oxford | 1 | $97,100 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
How large is Benton County?
- Land area406 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Indiana counties39th of 92
- Width, east to west22.7 mi
- Height, north to south18 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.39
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.
Benton County
Flood risk in Benton County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Benton County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 180477
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate33.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Benton County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Benton County (community 180477), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Benton County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 33.3 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,735
- Households3,454
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$65,875
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Benton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benton County, Indiana?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,853 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,735, in 3,454 households, ranking 89th of 92 Indiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benton County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.67 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,708, to 8,853 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 115 births against 109 deaths, with net migration of 86. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benton County?
$65,875. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $151,000, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $774 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Benton County?
160 establishments, employing 1,214 people with an annual payroll of $55.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Benton County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 387 jobs, 18.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,106 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,419, or $989 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Benton County?
8 7(a) approvals totaling $4.2 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $223,750, plus 1 504 approvals worth $200,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Benton County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Benton 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 Benton County come from?
The largest single origin is Tippecanoe County, with 125 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,120 against $52,668 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Benton County
Cities and places in Benton.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Benton County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler | town | 2,360 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Otterbein | town | 1,576 | 4 | 30.7 percent here, 69.3 percent Tippecanoe County |
| Oxford | town | 1,113 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Boswell | town | 794 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Earl Park | town | 342 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ambia | town | 158 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Raub | CDP | 97 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Templeton | CDP | 15 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |