Benton is a city in Butler County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 943.

History

Benton was founded in 1884. It was named for Thomas Benton Murdock, a state politician. Benton was incorporated as a city in 1908. In 1969, part of the film ''

The Gypsy Moths ''The Gypsy Moths'' is a 1969 American drama film, based on the 1955 novel of the same name by James Drought and directed by John Frankenheimer. The film tells the story of three barnstorming skydivers and their effect on a Midwestern American to ...

'' was shot in the Benton area.

Geography

Benton is located at (37.789302, -97.108402). 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 of it 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 880 people, 325 households, and 254 families residing 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 360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.5% 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 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 2.7% of the population. There were 325 households, of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the city was 36 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 827 people, 308 households, and 238 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 327 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.46%

, 0.12%

, 0.24% Native American, 0.24%

, 0.48% from

, and 1.45% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.33% of the population. There were 308 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $49,750, and the median income for a family was $58,214. Males had a median income of $40,380 versus $30,179 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 $21,975. About 3.8% of families and 5.5% 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 10.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Circle USD 375 public school district. Benton is home to Circle Benton Elementary and Circle Middle School. The

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

is visible as one drives on the highway past K-254. Benton High School was closed through school unification. The Benton Tigers won the Kansas State High School class B baseball championship in 1957.

Circle Middle School

Circle Middle School is the home of the Thunderbolts. The school is a part of the Walnut Valley League (WVL). Students from Circle Benton Elementary, Circle Towanda Elementary, Circle Greenwich Elementary, and Circle Oil Hill Elementary attend this school in their seventh and eighth grades. After graduating, the students move onto Circle High School in Towanda. Circle Middle School used to be a combination of Circle Benton Elementary and Circle Towanda Elementary, which, at the time, were both K-8 schools. Circle Oil Hill Elementary bused their kids over to Circle Towanda Elementary for classes. When the schools became too crowded due to the influx of jobs in nearby Wichita, El Dorado, and

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andove ...

, the school board voted to build a middle school in Benton. The project was completed by Summer 2002. Classes began in the fall. The first 8th grade class to go through the middle school graduated in 2007 from Circle High School.

References

External links

City of Benton

Benton - Directory of Public Officials

Benton city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Butler County, Kansas Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area 1884 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1884