HomeNorth DakotaBenson County
Benson County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Benson County, North Dakota had an estimated 5,756 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,960, across 1,389 square miles. County output reached $365.5 m in 2024, 79 establishments operate here.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Benson County
How many people live in Benson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,808
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2826th of 3,222
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 affordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,756
- Census 2020 base population5,960
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.42 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-22
- 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 of 3,144
The county has lost 3.42 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benson County
Where are people moving to Benson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving84
- People arriving, from those returns164
- Tax returns filed by households leaving94
- Net household movement-10
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-676,000
- Average income of an arriving household$47,679
- Average income of a leaving household$49,798
- Largest single originRamsey County (40 households)
- Largest single destinationRamsey County (37 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey County | 40 | 83 | $1.7 m |
Households arriving report $2,119 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Ramsey 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.
Benson County
What is the Benson County economy?
- 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 the North Dakota areas BEA publishes27th of 53
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2601st of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Benson County
- Covered employment, annual average1,973
- Establishments reporting148
- Average annual pay$53,294
- Average weekly wage$1,025
- Wholesale trade, employment116
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$85,100
- Construction, employment103
- Construction, average annual pay$88,797
- Health care and social assistance, employment75
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$22,139
- Transportation and warehousing, employment14
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$68,397
- Retail trade, employment12
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment5
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 116 | 17 | $85,100 |
| Construction | 103 | 14 | $88,797 |
| Health care and social assistance | 75 | 9 | $22,139 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 5 | $68,397 |
| Retail trade | 12 | 4 | $19,845 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 5 | 4 | $93,729 |
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 116 jobs, 5.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Benson County
How many businesses are 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. 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.
Benson County
Building permits in Benson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$520,650
- Single family units authorized2
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,325
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.0
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benson County
SBA loans in Benson County (7(a) and 504)
- 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
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benson County
How large 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.
Benson County
Flood risk in Benson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Benson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 380682
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Benson 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 Benson County (community 380682), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Benson 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. 75.0 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 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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,808
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,756 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.42 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,960, to 5,756 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Benson County?
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 116 jobs, 5.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,973 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,294, or $1,025 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Benson County?
2 housing units were authorized 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 Ramsey County, with 40 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,679 against $49,798 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?
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.
Benson County
Cities and places in Benson.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Benson County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Totten | CDP | 1,038 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leeds | city | 503 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Maddock | city | 474 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Minnewaukan | city | 191 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Warwick | city | 83 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Esmond | city | 78 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oberon | city | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brinsmade | city | 21 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Knox | city | 18 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| York | city | 6 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |