Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Benson gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $316K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Raleigh metro’s $100K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 166th of 286 in North Carolina. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its crime rate is higher than 94% of U.S. towns, with 14 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. Benson’s property crime rate is 34.8 per 1,000 residents, above both the North Carolina town median (21.8) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Benson's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns. Benson has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Hannah's Creek Primitive Baptist Church and Benson Historic District.
Where Benson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,311 counted in 2010 and 3,967 in 2020; an estimated 4,660 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 17.1% since 2020, after 19.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Benson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 191 in 1890, 3,967 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1925 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benson, 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 Benson.
Benson trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within North Carolina than nationally and trades workers with Raleigh and other neighbors.
At 59.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 78% of North Carolina’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 188 to 177 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Benson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Johnston County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 719 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
13% of adults binge drink in Benson. Benson beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 15% of adults have diabetes in Benson.
| Benson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Benson | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.1% | 15.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.1% | 8.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Benson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Benson’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Benson has about as many jobs (2,145) as working residents, but only 138 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Benson for work: only 7% work in town. The average trip to work in Benson is 29 minutes. Jobs based in Benson grew to 2,145 in 2023, 266 more than in 2013.
| Benson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). Benson has grown 17% since 2020, to 4,660 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina.
| Benson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.6 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 18% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Benson | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.5% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.5% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.2% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,700, single groups can be off by several points
Homes are within reach (about $317K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles.
55% of Benson households own their home. The typical Benson home is worth about $317,000, up 1.1% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home.
| Benson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,097 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.8 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Benson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dr. P.K. VYAS MD Community Park | 0.3 mi | 9 |
| 2. Community Park Expantion | — | 6 |
| 3. Benson Dog Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Benson
About 5 of every 100 Benson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
4 notable people were born in Benson.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Benson is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States, near the intersection of Interstates 95 and 40. Benson celebrates Mule Days on the fourth Saturday of September, a festival that attracts over 60,000 people each year. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,967.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benson grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #166 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C− for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Earl Stephenson and John Raynor.
