1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Illinois - Macoupin County - Benld - ED 59-15, ED 59-16, 1880
Benld’s story
122 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1880.
- 1904Benld is settled
BenldIL
A town of 1,403, settled in 1904.
Population
1,403
2025 Census estimate · −4.8% since 2020
Typical home
$72K
−11.7% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
45.4
years
Jobs based here
97
A commuter town
Is Benld a good place to live?
The best of Benld’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 29 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. Benld's schools rank behind 72% of the state's. On incomes, just 125 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Benld has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Benld stand out
Where Benld beats most towns.
Small town
1,403 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Cahokia TownshipGillespie TownshipMount ClareBenld
How Benld grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Benld is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & income97 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthCommunity Hospital of Staunton 5.4 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 37% of U.S. communities; earthquakes tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 6.4% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksA−Open →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life1.7 library visits per resident; 3.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 45.4; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Benld: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benld, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBenld water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Benld’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMacoupin County ClerkMacoupin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6200962009 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Benld.
HousingCost of living grade A+
Homes in Benld are worth about $72K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Benld home is worth about $72,000, down 11.7% in a year, 76% below the Illinois typical home. Benld’s median rent is $826 a month, against $1,129 a month in Illinois’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$72KZillow home value
| Benld | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $826 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Benld$72K
Illinois$296K
−11.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Benld’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Benld for work: only 1% work in town. Benld’s median household income is $48,000, where Illinois’ towns sit at $83,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. 15% of Benld residents live below the poverty line.
1%work in town
| Benld | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Benld1%
Litchfield7%
Springfield5%
Edwardsville5%
Staunton5%
26 mi
median commute distance
97
jobs based in Benld
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Benld trails 74% of U.S. towns
Benld beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Benld.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Benld | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better20 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Benld | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 17.9% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 5.9% |
Community Hospital of Staunton
5.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Benld
Benld has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Benld is 87°F.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–40°
Spring44–65°
Summer65–85°
Fall45–67°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Benld faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Benld
18pages on Benld
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Benld
About 2 of every 100 Benld residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Benld for work
Where Benld’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
97jobs based in Benld
1%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Benld
City in Illinois, United States
Benld (pronounced bə-NELD) is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,464 at the 2020 census, down from 1,556 in 2010. It is located in the Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Benld was declared the "most difficult to pronounce" place name in the state of Illinois by Reader's Digest.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 620 ft
- ZIP code
- 62009
- Area code
- 217
Questions about Benld
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Benld, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Louis, MO-IL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.