Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Among 72 Vermont towns, just 1 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Benson. 26% of the land in Benson is conserved, where Vermont’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Its National Register listings include Mountain View Stock Farm and Benson Village. Benson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Benson beats most towns.
Census counts: 658 in 1790, a peak of 1,561 in 1810, 974 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1810 and 4 maps from 1893 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 Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Benson.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Village SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 97 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
4.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Among 72 Vermont towns, just 1 have a lower trail density than Benson. Bomoseen State Park, at 372 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bomoseen State Park | 1.7 mi | 372 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Benson for work: only 3% work in town. At 32 minutes, Benson’s average trip to work is above both Vermont’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Benson has added 48 jobs, to 152 in 2023.
| Benson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Benson home is worth about $304,000, up 5.1% in a year, 22% below the Vermont typical home. 81% of households own their home in Benson.
| Benson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,113 a month | $1,135 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Benson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 7 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher July high than Benson.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Benson beats the Vermont average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 37% of Benson adults have obesity. Only 5 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Benson.
| Benson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Benson | VT |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 14.9% | 11.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.5% |
| More adults with obesity | 37.3% | 28.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Benson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
14 mi LakeLake George
29 mi LandmarkFort William Henry
32 mi Theme parkGreat Escape
26 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft vertical
10 mi LandmarkFort CarillonFort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort William Henry: IrisKawling at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Great Escape: Jared and Corin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Carillon: Charny, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Benson; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Benson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Vermont.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
5 notable people were born in Benson.
Town in Vermont, United States
Benson is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 974 at the 2020 census. The town is rural, with a concentration of several homes and businesses in Benson village, at the intersection of Stage Road and Lake Road.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born here, including Rufus Wilmot Griswold and Stephen Wallace Dorsey.
