Benton is a city in Scott County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. The population was 863 at the 2010 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Scott County.

History

Benton was settled as early as 1796. The town site was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1822. The community was named for Thomas Hart Benton. A post office has been in operation at Benton since 1823.

Geography

Benton is located at (37.097073, -89.562341). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 863 people, 311 households, and 214 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 339 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.21%

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, 4.87%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.23% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.70% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.51% of the population. There were 311 households, of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.2% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 732 people, 287 households, and 191 families living in the city. The

was 1,770.0 people per square mile (689.3/km²). There were 301 housing units at an average density of 727.8 per square mile (283.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.54%

, 2.05%

and 0.41% Native American.

of any race were 1.23% of the population. There were 287 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,365, and the median income for a family was $45,179. Males had a median income of $27,014 versus $20,662 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,161. About 4.2% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Benton is served by the Scott County R-IV School District, which operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Thomas W. Kelly High School. Benton has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, a branch of the Riverside Regional Library.

References

{{authority control Cities in Scott County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Populated places established in 1860 Cities in Missouri