Lake BentonMN
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Lake Benton a good place to live?
13% of the land in Lake Benton is conserved, above both the Minnesota town median (4.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Its National Register listings include Lake Benton Opera House and Ernst Osbeck House. Lake Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lake Benton stand out
Where Lake Benton beats most towns.
677 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Lake Benton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake 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 Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Benton.
The median rent in Lake Benton is lower than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
Values rose 3.6% in the 12 months to September 2026. Lake Benton: 74% of households are owner-occupiers, against 75% in Minnesota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
| Lake Benton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $513 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The schools Lake Benton’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to the Lake Benton Public School District. Public school enrollment here: 102 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Benton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 100 | A− |
| Lake Benton SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 2 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Lake Benton stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with more of its residents who live below the poverty line
Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles. The middle household income in Lake Benton is $52,000. Most people who work leave Lake Benton to do it: just 7% work in town. The top destinations are Tyler (25%), Marshall (15%) and Pipestone (6%).
| Lake Benton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Lake Benton, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
In Lake Benton, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Lake Benton has set aside 12.5% of its land for conservation
The biggest park or preserve is Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie Preserve, at 277 acres. Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 1.5 miles.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie Preserve | — | 277 |
| 2. Hole in the Mountain County Park | — | 261 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
High risk in Lake Benton, with inland flooding at the top
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Lake Benton after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2022. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over half of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Lake Benton is
For adults in Lake Benton, the share who have high blood pressure is 36%. The town does better than the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 8.
| Lake Benton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lake Benton | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Lake Benton
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake Benton; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Lake Benton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
93% of working residents leave Lake Benton for work
Where Lake Benton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Lake Benton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Benton, MN a good place to live?
Lake Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
What is Lake Benton, MN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Harold Koch Boysen and Donald R. Aldworth.