Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Living in Benson, MN: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by the Benson water system, which supplies Benson, came in at 16.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), above the 15 ppb action level. Benson runs its own electric utility, City of Benson.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Benson, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Benson.
Power comes from City of Benson
City of Benson (City of Benson - (MN)), a municipal utility, serves all of Benson.
Start or move service: bensonmn.org · (320) 843-4775
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Benson water system
The Benson water system supplies almost all of Benson. It draws ground water and serves 3,437 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 16.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 100% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1760008.
6 home internet providers serve Benson
100% of 1,401 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 94% | 1,000/35 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 75% | 40/3 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 95% | 150/130 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 22% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 14% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Benson’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Benson.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Benson is in Benson Public School District.
C+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Benson is in ZIP code 56215
ZIP codes where Benson residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Benson | ZIP’s residents in Benson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56215 | Benson, MN | 100% | 73% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Benson
Who supplies Benson’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Benson water system (EPA ID MN1760008). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 16.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Benson?
City of Benson (City of Benson - (MN)), a municipal utility.
What internet providers serve Benson?
Spectrum, CenturyLink, Midco, GigFire, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Benson?
56215. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Benson in?
Benson Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Benson?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Swift County Auditor. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.