Benson, North Carolina

Geography Benson is located at 35°22'56" North, 78°32'46" West (35.382270, -78.546206)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.47% is water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 2,923 people, 1,230 households, and 757 families residing in the town. The population density is 532.3/km² (1,380.1/mi²). There are 1,364 housing units at an average density of 248.4/km² (644.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 57.61% White, 34.04% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.78% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 7.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,230 households out of which 29.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% are married couples living together, 20.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% are non-families. 34.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 3.05.

In the town the population is spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 74.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $26,582, and the median income for a family is $32,277. Males have a median income of $29,375 versus $20,045 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,350. 25.0% of the population and 20.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 39.7% are under the age of 18 and 23.2% are 65 or older.