Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Only 3 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Benton. Scott County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Benton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 109 in 1880, 866 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1934 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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Benton.
3.7% of Benton residents live below the poverty line. Just 1% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Also worth knowing: jobs based here fell to 180 in 2023, 53 fewer than in 2013. The town’s middle household income is $86,000, where Missouri’s towns sit at $62,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Benton | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Denis School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 24 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Of the losses FEMA expects in Benton, 31% come from earthquakes and 20% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Benton households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of households in Benton who own their home is 77%, against 64% in Missouri’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The town’s going rate for rent is $889 a month. Values fell 2.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Benton | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $889 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Children under 18 are 13% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (18% statewide). For adults 25 and older in Benton, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 36%. Since 2020, Benton has grown 5%, to 919 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The age of the median resident for Benton comes to 45.9 years.
| Benton | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 45.9 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 22% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.2 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 85% are men (MO 42%).
| Benton | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.8% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.6% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.3% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.6% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.5% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.2% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.7% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
A winter brings about 3 inches of snow, with January nights at 27° and July afternoons at 89°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Benton, just over a third of adults get no exercise outside work. Among adults locally, 19% smoke cigarettes and 40% sleep under 7 hours.
| Benton | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Benton | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who get no exercise | 34.9% | 28.8% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 54.4% | 60.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Benton
About 4 of every 100 Benton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Where Benton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Missouri, U.S.
Benton is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 866 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
