Benton County, Indiana
Named for Thomas H. Benton, created in 1840, was one of the last of Indiana's 92 counties to be formed
County Seat: Fowler
Largest City: Fowler (2018 population: 2,282)
Population per Square Mile: 21.29
Square Miles: 406.40
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 8,836 | 89 | 0.1% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2018) | 8,653 | 89 | 0.1% | 6,691,878 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 8,559 | 90 | 0.1% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | -2.1% | 60 | | 3.2% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2017-2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | 4 | 45 | | 3,555 |
| Net International Migration | 1 | 70 | | 9,227 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 33 | 45 | 0.2% | 19,211 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 555 | 89 | 6.4% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 1,590 | 89 | 18.4% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 646 | 89 | 7.5% | 9.8% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 1,996 | 89 | 23.1% | 25.4% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 2,323 | 90 | 26.8% | 25.6% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 1,543 | 90 | 17.8% | 15.8% |
| Median Age | 40.7 | | | Median Age = 37.9 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2018 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 26 | 89 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 28 | 90 | 0.3% | 2.5% |
| Black Alone | 87 | 84 | 1.0% | 9.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 5 | 71 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 8,387 | 89 | 96.9% | 85.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 120 | 87 | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 8,204 | 89 | 94.8% | 92.9% |
| Hispanic | 449 | 68 | 5.2% | 7.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2017 (Includes detail not shown below) | 3,397 | 89 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 672 | 88 | 19.8% | 18.8% |
| Married Without Children | 1,047 | 91 | 30.8% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 294 | 88 | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Living Alone | 993 | 89 | 29.2% | 28.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Housing | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Total Housing Units in 2018 (estimate) | 3,928 | 89 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2017 (includes vacant units) | 3,919 | 89 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 2,509 | 90 | 64.0% | 61.2% |
| Median Value (2017) | $84,900 | 86 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 888 | 86 | 22.7% | 27.7% |
| Median Rent (2017) | $504 | 55 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2018/2019 Total Reported) | 1,840 | 84 | 0.2% | 1,117,590 |
| Public | 1,757 | 85 | 0.2% | 1,054,903 |
| Adults (25+ in 2017 ACS) | 5,841 | 90 | 0.1% | 4,369,451 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 89.5% | 25 | | 88.3% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 16.8% | 47 | | 25.3% |
Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Income and Poverty | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2017 | $38,447 | 59 | 85.2% | 45,150 |
| Median Household Income in 2017 | 52,841 | 41 | 97.6% | $54,134 |
| Poverty Rate in 2017 | 11.2% | 51 | 84.2% | 13.3% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 17.0% | 47 | 95.5% | 17.8% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2018 | 7 | 91 | 0.1% | 6,032 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2018 | 842 | 87 | 0.1% | 605,854 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2018/2019 | 830 | 87 | 0.2% | 514,915 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education
| Health and Vital Statistics | Number | Rank of | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Births, 2017 | 109 | 89 | 0.1% | 82,170 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Deaths, 2017 | 74 | 91 | 0.1% | 65,602 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2018 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 4,574 | 89 | 0.1% | 3,381,713 |
| Employed | 4,427 | 89 | 0.1% | 3,265,580 |
| Unemployed | 147 | 88 | 0.1% | 116,133 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 3.2 | 55 | 94.1% | 3.4 |
| April 2019 Unemployment Rate | 2.8 | 49 | 90.3% | 3.1 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2017 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 3,885 | 100.0% | $155,035 | 100.0% | $39,906 |
| Wage and Salary | 2,577 | 66.3% | $100,132 | 64.6% | $38,856 |
| Farm Proprietors | 322 | 8.3% | $3,374 | 2.2% | $10,478 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 986 | 25.4% | $24,751 | 16.0% | $25,102 |
| Farm | 508 | 13.1% | $11,359 | 7.3% | $22,360 |
| Nonfarm | 3,377 | 86.9% | $143,676 | 92.7% | $42,545 |
| Private | 2,743 | 70.6% | $115,624 | 74.6% | $42,152 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Construction | 225 | 5.8% | $10,206 | 6.6% | $45,360 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Information | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Manufacturing | 450 | 11.6% | $22,532 | 14.5% | $50,071 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 114 | 2.9% | $3,506 | 2.3% | $30,754 |
| Retail Trade | 288 | 7.4% | $6,933 | 4.5% | $24,073 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 311 | 8.0% | $18,751 | 12.1% | $60,293 |
| Other Private (not above) | 721* | 18.6%* | $27,510* | 17.7%* | $38,155* |
| Government | 634 | 16.3% | $28,052 | 18.1% | $44,246 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
| Residential Building Permits, 2017 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 17 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $2,652 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 17 | 100.0% | 74.2% | $2,652 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.0% | 0 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 23.4% | $0 | $469,056 |
Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Cities and Towns in Benton County
| Name | Population
in 2018 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Ambia | 222 | 2.6% |
| Boswell | 759 | 8.8% |
| Earl Park | 337 | 3.9% |
| Fowler | 2,282 | 26.4% |
| Otterbein | 861 | 10.0%* |
| Oxford | 1,137 | 13.1% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Hoosiers by the Numbers