Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
61% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Benton earns a D, 689th among Illinois's 767 graded towns, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its public schools trail 79% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. It also has a long history, with 1 places on the National Register. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Benton, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Franklin County Jail is on the National Register of Historic Places. Benton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Benton beats most towns.
Franklin County JailEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Benton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 380 in 1860, 6,709 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 2 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Benton.
Benton is healthier than towns with similar incomes, trades workers with Mount Vernon and other neighbors and has home values lagging Illinois’s.
At about $129K, home values are down 6% in five years, against a rise of 30% across Illinois. 60.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 47.9% across Illinois.
The typical Benton home is worth about $129,000, up 9.9% in a year, 56% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Benton is $798 a month.
| Benton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $798 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 7,159 U.S. towns with household incomes like Benton’s, it is less healthy than 68%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Benton. Benton beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 24% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Benton.
| Benton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Benton | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.2% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 6.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest place to walk is Benton City Park, 69 acres with 1.2 miles of trail.
| Benton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Benton City Park | 1.2 mi | 69 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Benton has chilly winters and warm summers. Benton’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Benton has about as many jobs (2,179) as working residents, but only 466 people both live and work here.
The top destinations are Mount Vernon (14%), Marion (9%) and West Frankfort (4%). Half commute less than 19 miles.
| Benton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Benton
About 2 of every 100 Benton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
9 notable people were born in Benton.
City in Illinois, United States
Benton is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Illinois. The population was 6,709 at the 2020 census. In 1839, Franklin County was split roughly in half and the county seat was permanently fixed "at a hill at the south end of Rowling's Prairie", the site of the future city of Benton. Benton's namesake is Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton. The village of Benton was organized in 1841 on 20 acres (8.1 ha) of property donated by John Ewing and Walter S. Akin. In 1902, the village became a city, and incorporated under the mayor/commissioner form of government. The Franklin County Courthouse sat in the center of the Public Square. It was the fourth courthouse that served the people…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Benton.
Benton reports no FBI crime data of its own. West City isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Benton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benton grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #689 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C− for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
9 notable people were born here, including Adrienne Mayor and William L. Hungate.