Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,019, platted in 1909.
Benton City grades D overall, 266th of 285 graded towns in Washington, mostly because of schools and health. Its public schools trail 87% of Washington towns on state tests and graduation. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. One bright spot: 7% of its land is conserved. Benton City’s July high is 90°F, where Washington’s towns sit at 77°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Only 23 of Washington’s 395 towns score higher on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Benton City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,038 counted in 2010 and 3,479 in 2020; an estimated 4,019 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 15.1% since 2020, after 14.5% 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 Washington), ordered by how far Benton City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 863 in 1950, 3,479 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 2 maps from 1917 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benton City, 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 Benton City.
Benton City has added a third more jobs in ten years, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Benton City’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile. 3.2 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverfront Park | 0.3 mi | 9 |
| 2. Benton City Wildlife Area | — | 8 |
| 3. Field of Dreams Community Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Kiona-Benton City School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Kiona-Benton City High School, with 435 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiona-Benton City ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 620 | – |
| Kiona-Benton City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 435 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Since 1980, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benton City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
17% of Benton City adults report frequent physical distress. Benton City beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 69% of Benton City adults had a checkup this year.
| Benton City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 71% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 17% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Benton City | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 9% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.4% | 8.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.7% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 414 in 2013 to 587.
Most working residents leave Benton City for work: only 6% work in town. The median household income in Benton City is $64,000. Since 2013, Benton City has added 173 jobs, to 587 in 2023.
| Benton City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
64.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 49.9% across Washington. The median property tax bill is $2,262, against $4,556 across Washington, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Among 275 Washington towns, just 1 have a lower median rent than Benton City. The typical Benton City home is worth about $434,000, up 1.3% in a year, 26% below the Washington typical home.
| Benton City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $848 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Benton City has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 90° and January nights drop to 28°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Benton City; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Benton City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
Where Benton City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Washington, United States
Benton City is a city in Benton County, Washington, United States. It is also included in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, which consists of both Benton and Franklin counties. The population was 3,479 at the 2020 census. The city shares a school district with the adjacent unincorporated community of Kiona.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benton City grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #266 of 285 in Washington. It grades C− for health and D for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.