Benham Historic District · Photo: Acdixon · CC0Benham spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Benham’s city government spent $383,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $918 per resident. Water and other utilities ($103,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Benham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$918 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Benham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($918 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $419, and the middle half spent $226–$717. Benham spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($42,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benham itself left out).
About $918 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Benham reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $750 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.42% of the home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benham’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Benham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benham →
Who’s in charge in Benham
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Benham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on benhamky.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 104 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (417).
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.
Harlan County School District
Benham’s K–12 school district, shared with Cumberland, Evarts, Loyall, Lynch. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,102 per pupil, $8,498 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.
Kentucky districts overall: 37% local, 46% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Benham’s votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benham alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Harlan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican87.7%9,109 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat11.5%1,199 votesOthers: 0.8% (80 votes).
Most votes in Harlan County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Benham lies in Harlan County. Every 2024 race in Harlan County is on the county’s page.
Harlan 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 Benham.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: benhamky.org ↗
- 2Kentucky HouseState representatives
- 3Kentucky SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kentucky
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Benham compares with the towns next door
Benham spent $918 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $521. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lynch | $521 | $669 |
| Benham | $918 | $750 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Benham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Benham’s government
How much does Benham spend per resident?
About $918 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $918 was more than 84% of 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $750 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see benhamky.org.
Who runs Benham’s government?
See benhamky.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benham yet.
How did Benham vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benham alone. Harlan County, where 100% of Benham lies, voted Trump 87.7%, Harris 11.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Benham?
4 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,437 (about $149,244 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benham in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Scott Madon) and State House District 87 (Adam Bowling). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benham’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; 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 →