Benson County Demographics

A map of Benson County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Native American/Other	2,921	3,191	50.3%	53.5%
White	2,482	2,532	42.7%	42.5%
Multiracial	209	143	3.6%	2.4%
Hispanic	113	89	1.9%	1.5%
Asian	48	7	0.8%	0.1%
Black	35	2	0.6%	0.0%

Benson County, North Dakota has an estimated population of 5,808, a slight decrease from the 5,964 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 50.3% Native American/Other, 42.7% White, 3.6% Multiracial, 1.9% Hispanic, 0.8% Asian, and 0.6% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Benson County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Benson has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than North Dakota overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Benson County, that probability was 53.3% in 2020 and 56.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Benson County is ranked the 21st most populous county in North Dakota, out of 53 counties. Benson County was ranked the 21st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Benson County's White Population

2,482 residents of Benson County, or 42.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Benson County is significantly lower than in North Dakota overall, where 81.7% of the population is White. Benson County ranks 51st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. White residents' share of Benson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 42.7%.

Benson County is less White than neighboring Wells County (95.1% White), Eddy County (87.6% White), Towner County (83.2% White), Pierce County (90.8% White), and Ramsey County (81% White).

Benson County's Black Population

35 residents of Benson County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Benson County is slightly lower than in North Dakota overall, where 3.3% of the population is Black. Benson County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1650.0%. Black residents' share of Benson County's population has increased from 0.0% to 0.6%.

Benson County is more Black than neighboring Wells County (0% Black), Eddy County (0% Black), Towner County (0% Black), and Pierce County (0.3% Black). Benson County is less Black than neighboring Ramsey County (0.7% Black).

Benson County's Asian Population

48 residents of Benson County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Benson County is comparable to the share in North Dakota overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Benson County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 585.7%. Asian residents' share of Benson County's population has increased from 0.1% to 0.8%.

Benson County is more Asian than neighboring Wells County (0.2% Asian), Eddy County (0% Asian), Towner County (0% Asian), and Pierce County (0.4% Asian). Benson County is less Asian than neighboring Ramsey County (0.9% Asian).

Benson County's Hispanic Population

113 residents of Benson County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Benson County is slightly lower than in North Dakota overall, where 4.7% of the population is Hispanic. Benson County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 27.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Benson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.9%.

Benson County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wells County (0.6% Hispanic), and Pierce County (0.8% Hispanic). Benson County is less Hispanic than neighboring Eddy County (5.4% Hispanic), Towner County (5.1% Hispanic), and Ramsey County (2.8% Hispanic).

Benson County's Native American/Other Population

2,921 residents of Benson County, or 50.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Benson County is significantly higher than in North Dakota overall, where 4.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Benson County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 8.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Benson County's population has decreased from 53.5% to 50.3%.

Benson County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Wells County (0.6% Native American/Other), Eddy County (4.3% Native American/Other), Towner County (6.1% Native American/Other), Pierce County (4.8% Native American/Other), and Ramsey County (9.7% Native American/Other).

Benson County's Multiracial Population

209 residents of Benson County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Benson County is comparable to the share in North Dakota overall, where 4% of the population is Multiracial. Benson County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 53 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benson County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 46.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Benson County's population has increased from 2.4% to 3.6%.

Benson County is more Multiracial than neighboring Wells County (3.5% Multiracial), Eddy County (2.7% Multiracial), and Pierce County (2.9% Multiracial). Benson County is less Multiracial than neighboring Towner County (5.6% Multiracial), and Ramsey County (5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.