Benson is a very small town located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 4,401 people and five associated neighborhoods, Benson is the 205th largest community in North Carolina. Benson has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Benson, where the median household income is $65,614.00.Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Benson is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Benson is a town of professionals, sales and office workers, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Benson who work in healthcare (15.33%), sales jobs (11.98%), and food service (9.92%). Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 15.74% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. The education level of Benson citizens, measured as those with bachelor's degrees or advanced degrees, is similar to the national average for all American cities and towns. 20.83% of adults 25 and older in Benson have a college degree. The per capita income in Benson in 2022 was $26,918, which is lower middle income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $107,672 for a family of four. However, Benson contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Benson also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 32.88% of its population below the federal poverty line.Benson is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Benson home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Benson residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Benson also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 23.46% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Benson include English, German, European, Irish, and Nigerian. The most common language spoken in Benson is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.
