Benton Stone Water Tower · Photo: Tgkrause · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Benton run?
Benton’s village government spent $957,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $991 per resident. Water and other utilities ($940,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Benton is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $991 per resident a year, or $2.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$991 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Benton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($991 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,107, and the middle half spent $864–$1,431. Benton spent less than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($363,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton itself left out).
No trend yet
Benton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,460 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benton’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Benton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton →
Who’s in charge in Benton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Benton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on bentonwi.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 193 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (966).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Benton School District
Benton’s K–12 school district, shared with Benton, New Diggings. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,940 per pupil, $8,954 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Benton voted in 2024
Official results for Benton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.2%264 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.4%240 votesOthers: 0.4% (2 votes).
Most votes in Benton: Donald J Trump
Lafayette County: Trump 59.5%, Harris 39.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Benton’s 825 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Benton: Tammy Baldwin
Lafayette County: Hovde 55.2%, Baldwin 42.9% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Benton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | 52.2% | 47.4% | 0.4% | 506 |
| Lafayette County | 59.5% | 39.3% | 1.2% | 8,832 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Benton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bentonwi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Benton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton’s government
How much does Benton spend per resident?
About $991 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $991 was less than 62% of 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,460 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bentonwi.us.
Who runs Benton’s government?
See bentonwi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton yet.
How did Benton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 52.2%, Kamala D Harris 47.4% (506 votes, official results). Lafayette County: Trump 59.5%, Harris 39.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Benton?
5 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $28,698 (about $344,376 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Howard Marklein) and Assembly District 51 (Todd Novak). The Assembly district also covers 66 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →