Benton, AR Demographics

A map of Benton's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	28,435	27,156	77.7%	77.6%
Black	3,638	3,441	9.9%	9.8%
Hispanic	2,834	2,030	7.7%	5.8%
Multiracial	1,225	1,630	3.3%	4.7%
Asian	322	488	0.9%	1.4%
Native American/Other	141	269	0.4%	0.8%

Benton, Arkansas has an estimated population of 36,595, an increase from the 35,014 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 77.7% White, 9.9% Black, 7.7% Hispanic, 3.3% Multiracial, 0.9% Asian, and 0.4% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Benton, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Benton is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Arkansas overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Benton, that probability was 38.3% in 2020 and 37.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Benton is ranked the 12th most populous place in Arkansas, out of 625 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Benton was ranked the 12th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Benton's White Population

28,435 residents of Benton, or 77.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Benton is considerably higher than in Arkansas overall, where 67.4% of the population is White. Benton ranks 389th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's White population has grown by an estimated 4.7%. White residents' share of Benton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 77.7%.

Benton is more White than neighboring Bryant (70.7% White). Benton is less White than neighboring Salem (90.6% White), Bauxite (92% White), Haskell (84.1% White), and Avilla (81.8% White).

Benton's Black Population

3,638 residents of Benton, or 9.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Benton is slightly lower than in Arkansas overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Benton ranks 194th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's Black population has grown by an estimated 5.7%. Black residents' share of Benton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 9.9%.

Benton is more Black than neighboring Salem (0.7% Black), Bauxite (3.1% Black), Haskell (8.3% Black), and Avilla (0% Black). Benton is less Black than neighboring Bryant (14.9% Black).

Benton's Asian Population

322 residents of Benton, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Benton is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Benton ranks 67th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's Asian population has declined by an estimated 34.0%. Asian residents' share of Benton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Benton is more Asian than neighboring Salem (0% Asian), Bauxite (0% Asian), and Avilla (0% Asian). Benton is less Asian than neighboring Bryant (2.1% Asian), and Haskell (1% Asian).

Benton's Hispanic Population

2,834 residents of Benton, or 7.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Benton is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 9% of the population is Hispanic. Benton ranks 154th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 39.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Benton's population has increased from 5.8% to 7.7%.

Benton is more Hispanic than neighboring Salem (6.5% Hispanic), Bauxite (1.5% Hispanic), Bryant (7.6% Hispanic), and Haskell (1.1% Hispanic). Benton is less Hispanic than neighboring Avilla (14.7% Hispanic).

Benton's Native American/Other Population

141 residents of Benton, or 0.4% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Benton is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Benton ranks 279th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 47.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Benton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Benton is more Native American/Other than neighboring Salem (0% Native American/Other), and Bauxite (0% Native American/Other). Benton is less Native American/Other than neighboring Bryant (0.9% Native American/Other), and Avilla (3.4% Native American/Other).

Benton's Multiracial Population

1,225 residents of Benton, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Benton is slightly lower than in Arkansas overall, where 6.3% of the population is Multiracial. Benton ranks 299th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 625 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 24.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Benton's population has decreased from 4.7% to 3.3%.

Benton is more Multiracial than neighboring Salem (2.3% Multiracial), and Avilla (0% Multiracial). Benton is less Multiracial than neighboring Bauxite (3.4% Multiracial), Bryant (3.8% Multiracial), and Haskell (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.