Scott County Courthouse · Photo: Dazspell · CC BY-SA 3.0Benton spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Benton’s city government spent $983,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,117 per resident.
What stands out about how Benton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,117 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Benton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,117 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $313, and the middle half spent $137–$614. Benton spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($59,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton itself left out).
About $1,117 per resident a year, or $3.06 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 81%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Benton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,381 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benton’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 Benton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton →
Who’s in charge in Benton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 880 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 (880).
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.
Scott County R-IV School District
Benton’s K–12 school district, shared with Blodgett, Commerce, Diehlstadt. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,980 per pupil, $6,792 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.
Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Benton’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Scott County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.1%13,786 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.2%3,525 votesOthers: 0.6% (110 votes).
Most votes in Scott County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of Benton lies in Scott County. Every 2024 race in Scott County is on the county’s page.
Scott 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 Benton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Missouri HouseState representatives
- 3Missouri SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Benton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton’s government
How much does Benton spend per resident?
About $1,117 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 $1,117 was more than 92% of 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,381 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Benton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton yet.
How did Benton vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benton alone. Scott County, where 100% of Benton lies, voted Trump 79.1%, Harris 20.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Benton?
1 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,165 (about $85,980 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Jamie Burger) and State House District 148 (David Dolan). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton’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 →