Minnesota · Census place 05212
Benson, MN population, income and ZIP codes
Quick answer
The population of the city of Benson, Minnesota (Benson, MN — Census place “Benson city”) is 3,449 residents, ranking #197 of 914 places in Minnesota. Median household income is $51,124, the median home is worth $146,100 and median gross rent runs $939 a month. Looking for the Benson Minnesota ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Benson, MN: 56215.
- Population
- 3,449Benson city residents
- Median household income
- $51,124Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $146,100Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $939Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 40.9 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 62.9%Owner-occupied households
Benson ZIP codes (Minnesota)
Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Benson.
The Benson MN ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.
What the numbers mean in Benson city
Housing cost measured against local earnings.
A household earning the Benson city median would spend about 22% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 2.9× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 9.7% of residents and 62.9% of households own their home.
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year
Benson city, MN in context
How this area compares with national benchmarks.
Benson city is a small town in Minnesota, with 3,449 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #197 of 914 ranked by population — larger than 78% of them. The median age here is 40.9 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly older profile than the country as a whole. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.
Households in Benson city earn a median of $51,124 a year, 34.9% below the national figure of $78,538 and 32% below the $75,469 median for the 361 Minnesota cities we cover. The median is the midpoint household, not an average, so a handful of very high earners cannot drag it upward the way they distort a mean. Poverty reaches 9.7% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.
The typical owner-occupied home in Benson city is valued at $146,100, 51.8% below the national figure and 39% below the $240,400 peer median, while median gross rent runs $939 a month, 33.2% below the national figure, or roughly $11,268 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 22% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is within the standard affordability guideline. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 2.9×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 62.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. Gross rent folds in the utilities a tenant pays separately, so it is closer to the real monthly outlay than a headline rent figure.
Every value on this page is published directly by the Census for this area — nothing is modelled or interpolated. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.
Compare with nearby places
Places of similar size in Minnesota.
- Sleepy Eye city 3,438
- Eveleth city 3,470
- Breckenridge city 3,369
- Hanover city 3,495
- Montgomery city 3,366
- Plainview city 3,501
- Annandale city 3,365
- St. Augusta city 3,576
Keep going
More Minnesota coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- What is the population of Benson city?
- Benson city has 3,449 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #197 of 914 in Minnesota.
- What is the median household income in Benson city?
- Median household income in Benson city is $51,124 a year, 34.9% below the national figure of $78,538.
- How much does it cost to rent or buy in Benson city?
- Median gross rent is $939 a month and the median home value is $146,100, so rent absorbs about 22% of median household income.
- Is Benson city affordable compared with the rest of the US?
- Homes cost about 2.9× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Benson city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 22% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
- How current is this Benson city data?
- All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.