The county was created on March 9, 1883[4] by the Dakota Territory legislature, and was named for Bertil W. Benson, a Dakota Territory legislator at the time. The county government was organized on June 4, 1884, and its boundary lines were altered by two legislative actions in 1885.[5]
Much of the east boundary line of Benson County is delineated by the shore of Devils Lake, a closed-capture lake which in an overflow condition spills into the Sheyenne River. The North Fork Sheyenne River flows southeasterly through the lower southwestern portion of the county.
The terrain of Benson County consists of rolling hills dotted with lakes, ponds and drainages.[6] The terrain slopes to the east, and its highest point is on the lower portion of its west boundary line, at 1,624ft (495m) ASL.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,439.396 square miles (3,728.02km2), of which 1,388.555 square miles (3,596.34km2) is land and 50.841 square miles (131.68km2) (3.53%) is water.[8] It is the 19th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[9]
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[2]
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Benson County was $88,049.[15] As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,922 estimated households in Benson County with an average of 3.04 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $68,049. Approximately 22.7% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Benson County has an estimated 52.2% employment rate, with 22.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 88.5% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (91.9%), Spanish (1.1%), Indo-European (0.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.6%), and Other (5.8%). The median age in the county was 32.4 years.
Benson County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 5,756 people and 1,922 households residing in the county. There were 2,549 housing units at an average density of 2.84 per square mile (1.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 43.7% White (43.2% NH White), 0.5% African American, 52.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.0% of the population.[21]
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,964 people, 2,015 households, and 1,364 families residing in the county.[22] The population density was 4.3 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). There were 2,542 housing units at an average density of 1.8 inhabitants per square mile (0.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 42.62% White, 0.12% African American, 53.92%Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from some other races and 2.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.49% of the population.[23]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 6,660 people, 2,233 households, and 1,628 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.8 inhabitants per square mile (1.9/km2). There were 2,950 housing units at an average density of 2.1 inhabitants per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 43.38% White, 0.02% African American, 55.00%Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from some other races and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.16% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.0% were Norwegian, 18.0% were German, 5.0% were Irish, and 0.6% were American.
Of the 2,233 households, 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.1% were non-families, and 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.46. The median age was 31.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,479 and the median income for a family was $34,597. Males had a median income of $31,729 versus $25,253 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,545. About 26.1% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Communities
Cities and CDPs have population included as of 2020, and townships have the population as of 2020. The largest community by far is Fort Totten, followed by Leeds, Maddock and the county seat, Minnewaukan. There are nine cities in the county. The largest township by a 60% margin is Mission (935), which is on the south shore of Devils Lake and is popular for vacationing, as well as gambling at the Spirit Lake Casino and Resort. It is within the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. It is followed by Wood Lake Township (471), immediately to the south of Mission Township and also included in the reservation. The third largest is Lallie Township (325), to the west of Fort Totten on the south shore of Devils Lake and within the reservation.
Typical of many counties in the state where a significant share of the population is Native American, Benson County used to lean Democratic in presidential elections. Prior to 2020, no Republican candidate had won the majority of the county's votes since Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, George W. Bush in 2000 & Donald Trump in 2016 both won a plurality of the county's votes. In 2020, Trump won a majority of the county's votes, gaining nearly 56% of the county's votes, and in 2024 he further increased his vote share, gaining over 58% of the votes.
United States presidential election results for Benson County, North Dakota[24]
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