Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 771.
Benkelman’s average trip to work is 8 minutes, below both the Nebraska town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Benkelman. Benkelman has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dundy County Courthouse and Zorn Theatre. Benkelman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 357 in 1890, a peak of 1,512 in 1950, 821 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Benkelman, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Benkelman.
The typical Benkelman home is worth about $141,000, down 9.1% in a year, 49% below the Nebraska typical home. At $700 a month, Benkelman’s median rent is against $914 a month in Nebraska’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Benkelman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $700 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benkelman Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 159 | B− |
| Dundy Co Stratton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 126 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Benkelman’s July high is 92°F. Benkelman has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
19% of Benkelman residents live below the poverty line. No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a lower median household income than Benkelman. 40% of Benkelman working residents work locally.
| Benkelman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 40% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Benkelman beats the Nebraska average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Benkelman. Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Benkelman.
| Benkelman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Benkelman | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 77.5% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.3% | 83.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ward Bond Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Benkelman; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Benkelman residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
City in and county seat of Dundy County, Nebraska, United States
Benkelman is a city in and the county seat of Dundy County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 821.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benkelman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.