Photo: Richard N Horne · CC BY 4.0How is Benson run?
Benson’s city government spent $10.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,945 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Benson didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Benson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,945 per resident a year, or $5.33 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Benson didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Benson yet
Every year of Benson’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $996 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benson’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Benson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benson →
Who’s in charge in Benson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Benson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbenson.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 81 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,355).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
St. David Unified District
Benson’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,427 per pupil, $5,546 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arizona districts overall: 35% local, 47% state, 18% federal.
Benson Unified School District · $11,519 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Benson’s votes are counted by county
Arizona reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cochise County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.8%35,936 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.7%22,296 votesOthers: 1.5% (903 votes).
Most votes in Cochise County: Donald J Trump
100% of Benson lies in Cochise County. Every 2024 race in Cochise County is on the county’s page.
Cochise County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Benson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbenson.com ↗
- 2Arizona HouseState representatives
- 3Arizona SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arizona
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Benson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Benson’s government
How much does Benson spend per resident?
About $1,945 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Benson didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $12.6 million.
What is the property tax rate in Benson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $996 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbenson.com.
Who runs Benson’s government?
See cityofbenson.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benson yet.
How did Benson vote in 2024?
Arizona counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benson alone. Cochise County, where 100% of Benson lies, voted Trump 60.8%, Harris 37.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Benson?
66 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $287,067 (about $3.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (David Gowan) and State House District 19 (Gail Griffin and Lupe Diaz). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benson’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Benson, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →