Benton PA 1st Presby Ch PHS56, 1923
Benton’s story
233 years in pictures
Census counts: 191 in 1880, 823 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and 5 maps from 1894 on.
- 1793Benton is settled
BentonPA
Photo: Ruhrfisch (talk) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
819
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$168K
Census ACS
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
55.9
years
Jobs based here
188
A commuter town
Is Benton a good place to live?
26% of residents live below the poverty line in Benton, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Benton stand out
Where Benton beats most towns.
Small town
819 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Benton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benton, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBenton Municipal Water AuthNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Benton’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereColumbia County Board of ElectionsColumbia County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code1781417814 100%Census 2020
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 Benton.
Work & commute
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Benton’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Benton for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Benton has added 31 jobs, to 188 in 2023. The top destinations are Sugarloaf Township (7%), Bloomsburg (7%) and Mahoning Township (5%).
4%work in town
| Benton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Benton4%
Sugarloaf Township7%
Bloomsburg7%
Mahoning Township5%
South Centre Township4%
15 mi
median commute distance
188
jobs based in Benton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Benton’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Benton Area SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| L R Appleman El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 308 | B− |
| Benton Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 200 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Benton faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 84 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benton.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
84
paid flood claims since 1979
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Benton has four seasons and pleasant summers
Benton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 83°F, Benton’s July high is below both the Pennsylvania town median (85°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring36–58°
Summer58–80°
Fall41–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
11.3%conserved
11.3%
conserved · 44 of 392 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Benton Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Safety
Crime reported in Benton
No violent or property crimes were reported in Benton in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Benton is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Benton is
Benton beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 25% of Benton adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Benton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Benton | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.2% | 7.7% |
Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital
13.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$220Kmedian sale price
| Benton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $956 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
3
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Benton
19pages on Benton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Benton
About 1 of every 100 Benton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Benton for work
Where Benton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
188jobs based in Benton
4%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Benton
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Benton is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 824 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1793
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 765 ft
- ZIP code
- 17814
Questions about Benton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Benton, PA a good place to live?
Benton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.