Benton County Demographics

A map of Benton County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	35,763	35,821	86.0%	86.6%
Black	2,292	1,991	5.5%	4.8%
Hispanic	1,460	1,216	3.5%	2.9%
Multiracial	1,455	1,587	3.5%	3.8%
Asian	417	463	1.0%	1.1%
Native American/Other	206	301	0.5%	0.7%

Benton County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 41,593, a less than 1% change from the 41,379 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.0% White, 5.5% Black, 3.5% Hispanic, 3.5% Multiracial, 1.0% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Benton County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Benton has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Minnesota overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Benton County, that probability was 24.6% in 2020 and 25.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Benton County is ranked the 25th most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Benton County was ranked the 24th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Benton County's White Population

35,763 residents of Benton County, or 86.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Benton County is considerably higher than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Benton County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Benton County's population has decreased from 86.6% to 86.0%.

Benton County is more White than neighboring Sherburne County (85.8% White), and Stearns County (80.2% White). Benton County is less White than neighboring Morrison County (94.3% White), Mille Lacs County (88% White), and Wright County (88% White).

Benton County's Black Population

2,292 residents of Benton County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Benton County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Benton County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Black population has grown by an estimated 15.1%. Black residents' share of Benton County's population has increased from 4.8% to 5.5%.

Benton County is more Black than neighboring Sherburne County (4% Black), Morrison County (0.5% Black), Mille Lacs County (0.4% Black), and Wright County (2.3% Black). Benton County is less Black than neighboring Stearns County (9% Black).

Benton County's Asian Population

417 residents of Benton County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Benton County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Benton County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 9.9%. Asian residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Benton County is more Asian than neighboring Morrison County (0.4% Asian), and Mille Lacs County (0.9% Asian). Benton County is less Asian than neighboring Sherburne County (1.7% Asian), Wright County (1.8% Asian), and Stearns County (1.9% Asian).

Benton County's Hispanic Population

1,460 residents of Benton County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Benton County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Benton County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 20.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Benton County's population has increased from 2.9% to 3.5%.

Benton County is more Hispanic than neighboring Sherburne County (3.4% Hispanic), Morrison County (1.9% Hispanic), and Mille Lacs County (2.3% Hispanic). Benton County is less Hispanic than neighboring Wright County (3.6% Hispanic), and Stearns County (4.8% Hispanic).

Benton County's Native American/Other Population

206 residents of Benton County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Benton County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Benton County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 31.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Benton County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Stearns County (0.3% Native American/Other). Benton County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Sherburne County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Mille Lacs County (4.7% Native American/Other).

Benton County's Multiracial Population

1,455 residents of Benton County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Benton County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Benton County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Benton County is more Multiracial than neighboring Morrison County (2.4% Multiracial). Benton County is less Multiracial than neighboring Sherburne County (4.2% Multiracial), Mille Lacs County (3.6% Multiracial), Wright County (3.7% Multiracial), and Stearns County (3.7% 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.