Benton County Demographics

A map of Benton County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	137,553	135,718	64.6%	65.6%
Hispanic	54,546	49,339	25.6%	23.8%
Multiracial	8,220	10,175	3.9%	4.9%
Asian	6,490	6,244	3.0%	3.0%
Black	3,401	2,621	1.6%	1.3%
Native American/Other	2,695	2,776	1.3%	1.3%

Benton County, Washington has an estimated population of 212,905, a slight increase from the 206,873 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.6% White, 25.6% Hispanic, 3.9% Multiracial, 3.0% Asian, 1.6% Black, and 1.3% 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 Washington 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 50.9% in 2020 and 51.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Benton County is ranked the 10th most populous county in Washington, out of 39 counties. Benton County was ranked the 10th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Benton County's White Population

137,553 residents of Benton County, or 64.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Benton County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 63.1% of the population is White. Benton County ranks 30th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Benton County's population has decreased from 65.6% to 64.6%.

Benton County is more White than neighboring Franklin County (37.1% White), Morrow County (52.5% White), Grant County (49.2% White), and Umatilla County (61.5% White). Benton County is less White than neighboring Walla Walla County (67.7% White).

Benton County's Black Population

3,401 residents of Benton County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Benton County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Benton County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Black population has grown by an estimated 29.8%. Black residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Benton County is more Black than neighboring Morrow County (0.8% Black), Grant County (1.2% Black), and Umatilla County (0.7% Black). Benton County is less Black than neighboring Franklin County (1.9% Black).

Benton County's Asian Population

6,490 residents of Benton County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Benton County is lower than in Washington overall, where 9.7% of the population is Asian. Benton County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Asian residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Benton County is more Asian than neighboring Franklin County (1.7% Asian), Morrow County (0.2% Asian), Grant County (0.8% Asian), Umatilla County (0.7% Asian), and Walla Walla County (1.8% Asian).

Benton County's Hispanic Population

54,546 residents of Benton County, or 25.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Benton County is considerably higher than in Washington overall, where 14.4% of the population is Hispanic. Benton County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Benton County's population has increased from 23.8% to 25.6%.

Benton County is more Hispanic than neighboring Walla Walla County (23.8% Hispanic). Benton County is less Hispanic than neighboring Franklin County (55.3% Hispanic), Morrow County (42% Hispanic), Grant County (43.9% Hispanic), and Umatilla County (29.7% Hispanic).

Benton County's Native American/Other Population

2,695 residents of Benton County, or 1.3% 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 Washington overall, where 2.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Benton County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 2.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Benton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Benton County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Franklin County (0.9% Native American/Other), Morrow County (0.4% Native American/Other), Grant County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Walla Walla County (1% Native American/Other). Benton County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Umatilla County (2.6% Native American/Other).

Benton County's Multiracial Population

8,220 residents of Benton County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Benton County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 6.8% of the population is Multiracial. Benton County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benton County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 19.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Benton County's population has decreased from 4.9% to 3.9%.

Benton County is more Multiracial than neighboring Franklin County (3.1% Multiracial). Benton County is less Multiracial than neighboring Morrow County (4% Multiracial), Grant County (4.1% Multiracial), Umatilla County (4.8% Multiracial), and Walla Walla County (4.1% 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.