Benton County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Benton County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                395 59th  1.0%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           72,522  64th   0.7%
Number of Farms                 79,280                500  69th   0.6%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                145  36th   105.1%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 16,193 75th  0.3%
2000 Census 5,689,283 16,537 74th  0.3%
1990 Census 4,877,203 14,524 69th  0.3%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 2,013 76th  0.2%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 13.9% 60th  83.2%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8               41.0 75th  27.2%
2000 Census                   138.0               41.9 74th  30.3%
1990 Census                   118.3               36.8 72nd  31.1%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968             3,654 63rd  0.1%
1990 Census            2,969,948             3,643 64th  0.1%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% 0.3% 54th  1.4%
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 22.1% 55th  34.7%
1990 Census 60.9% 25.1% 49th  41.2%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 42 2nd  115.9%
1990 Census 34 38 4th  114.6%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 22.0% 82nd 
18-24 9.6% 7.0% 92nd 
25-44 30.2% 26.2% 89th 
45-64 23.2% 27.0% 6th 
65 & over 12.4% 17.7% 7th 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 23.0% 82nd 
18-24 10.9% 8.7% 85th 
25-44 31.8% 27.5% 87th 
45-64 19.6% 23.0% 8th 
65 & over 12.6% 17.8% 6th 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Benton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 92.2 91st  96.7%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 9.1 24th  85.0%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 5.6 76th  119.1%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Benton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $23,049 74th  71.6%
2000 $26,097 $19,801 64th  75.9%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 2.56% 79th  72.23%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $34,077 71st  80.4%
2000 $35,760 $29,429 70th  82.3%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 2.12% 42nd  86.09%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 17.9% 52nd  113.29%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 30.9% 83rd  137.33%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 9.7% 10th  74.05%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 12.3% 11th  77.35%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 20.3% 70th  128.46%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 19.7% 74th  139.39%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 1.7% 43rd  68.62%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 1.8% 53rd  71.70%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Benton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               10.2 84th  71.8%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 48.5% 87th  113.3%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 12.0% 86th  127.7%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               60.7 80th  75.2%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9               13.4 63rd  96.4%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                  -   1st  0.0%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Mortality Rates           
Number of Deaths per 1,000 Population                      9.3               16.6 95th  178.5%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             559.2 94th  239.8%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             382.9 93rd  177.8%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
1st 
1st 
1st 
Tennessee Benton County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.4 71st  24.0%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                1.5 61st  36.4%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               47.5 55th  96.6%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 3.6% 35th  42.6%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Benton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 13.2% 69th  138.4%
2000 4.0% 7.5% 91st  187.1%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 27.6% 89th  176.1%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Benton County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 3,896 70 0.1%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 1.8% 41 455.4%
Construction 4.9% 3.8% 62 78.8%
Manufacturing 13.8% 15.9% 76 114.8%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 24.1% 66 109.0%
Information 1.8% 0.9% 62 48.8%
Financial Activities 5.2% 4.1% 68 77.6%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 2.1% 74 18.1%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 13.1% 62 106.0%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 10.0% 60 99.4%
Other Services 2.6% 2.6% 57 102.8%
Government 14.9% 1.4% 83 9.1%
Federal 1.8% 1.4% 68 76.7%
State 3.3% 0.0% 68 0.0%
Local 9.9% 0.0% 68 0.0%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
87th 
29th 
31st 
84th 
86th 
62nd 
55th 
31st 
84th 
93rd 
4th 
35th 
77th 
68th 
68th 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Benton County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      324,173 91st 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         2,235 90th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $   4,603,000 86th 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Benton County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    23,539 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    11,345 48.2%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%         8,170 34.7%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         3,175 13.5%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      1,902 8.1%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $    10,293 43.7%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%         4,447 18.9%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%         2,937 12.5%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         2,908 12.4%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Benton County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      204,135
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $12,606 78th  59.5%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.94 10th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $      113,348
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $7,000 60th  63.0%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.75% 1st 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Benton County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Existing School Improvements  $         1,899,735  $         8,874 34th 0.5%
Transportation           17,106,712             6,629 91st 0.0%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355             2,134 92nd 0.1%
Recreation            1,118,527             1,060 72nd 0.1%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201             1,000 64th 0.1%
Community Development               367,547             1,000 26th 0.3%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785                440 39th 0.2%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869                    - 43rd 0.0%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581                    - 45th 0.0%
Other Utilities               598,698                    - 32nd 0.0%
Public Buildings               526,288                    - 77th 0.0%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 0.0%
Stormwater               371,227                    - 39th 0.0%
Public Health Facilities               323,093                    - 30th 0.0%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362                    - 68th 0.0%
Fire Protection               220,725                    - 57th 0.0%
Housing               100,189                    - 14th 0.0%
School System-wide Need                 63,021                    - 16th 0.0%
Solid Waste                 54,314                    - 30th 0.0%
Other Facilities                 32,755                    - 9th 0.0%
Telecommunications                 17,009                    - 5th 0.0%
Property Acquisition                   3,956                    - 8th 0.0%
Grand Total  $       34,202,707  $       21,137 94th 0.1%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Benton County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 65.8% 62nd 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 6.3% 90th 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 56.3% 50th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 7.4% 59th 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 0
Public 14 0
Private 63 0
Other Public Institutions 93 0
Community Colleges 13 0
Technology Centers 27 0
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 0
Off-campus Sites 33 0
2007 - 2008 Enrollment (full-time equivalent) at Post-secondary Institutions    
Four-year Colleges and Universities*          214,260                     -  
Public 134,696 0
Private 79,564 0
Other Public Institutions* 134,278 0
Community Colleges 80,454 0
Technology Centers 13,939 0
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 0
Off-campus Sites 28,836 0
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Benton County    
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    2,477               
Percent of Statewide 0.3%          
1997-1998                 834,318                    2,434               
Percent of Statewide 0.3%          
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 43          
Percent Change 13.2% 1.8%          
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 65.8%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 71.1%
Special Education 14.7% 15.9%
English Language Learners 3.2% 0.7%
Statewide Benton County    
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 75.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 100.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      13.9               
1997-1998                      15.8                      14.8               
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (1.0)                    
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 99.1%          
1997-1998 96.6% 97.8%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 1.6%
1997-1998 4.5% 1.2%
*Classroom teachers include art, music and physical education teachers.  Because these auxiliary teachers are
included, ratios of students to classroom teachers do not represent and tend to be lower than actual class sizes.
Statewide Benton County    
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,578
Percent of Statewide 97.9%          
1997-1998 $5,123 $4,769
Percent of Statewide 93.1%          
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,810          
Percent Change 51.1% 58.9%          
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $41,082
Percent of Statewide 91.7%
1997-1998 $34,584 $29,638
Percent of Statewide 85.7%
Gain $10,236 $11,444
Percent Change 29.6% 38.6%          
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 58.1%
Federal 10.8% 12.8%
Local 41.6% 29.1%
System Rank for Percent Local 63rd 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 55.9%
Federal 11.0% 13.4%
Local 43.5% 30.7%
System Rank for Percent Local 64th 
Statewide Benton County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,438 61st 
Sources of Information for County Profiles
I. Geography & Demographics
U.S. Bureau of the Census--all data except for marriage and divorce rates.
www.census.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
TN Dept. of Health - marriage and divorce rates.
http://health.state.tn.us/
II. Income & Poverty
U.S. Bureau of the Census--median household income data & poverty rates.
www.census.gov
TN Dept. of Human Services--Food Stamp data and Families First data.
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_fsp.htm
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_tanf.htm
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis - per capita income data
www.bea.gov
III. Health & Healthcare
TN Dept.of Health, Health Statistics & Research--pregnancy, births, mortality & healthcare access data.
http://health.state.tn.us/statistics/healthdata.htm
IV. Employment
TN Dept. Of Labor and Workforce Development - unemployment data. 
http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/
U.S. Department of Labor - employment data.
ww.bls.gov/lau/home.htm
V. Value of Farmland and Agricultural Product Sold
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
VI. County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
TN County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS), Resource Center--county revenue data.
www.ctas.utk.edu
TN Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessment--equalized assessed property values.
http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/pa/taxaggr.htm
TN Dept. of Revenue--total taxable sales.
www.state.tn.us/revenue/files.htm
VII. Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--all data. 
http://tn.gov/tacir/infrastructure.html
VIII. Adult & Post-secondary Education
U.S. Bureau of the Census--educational attainment.
www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html
TN Higher Education Commission--post-secondary institution and enrollment data.
www.state.tn.us/thec
IX. Public School Systems (Total number of school systems is 136)
TN Department of Education--all data except fiscal capacity.
http://www.state.tn.us/education/mdata.shtml
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--education fiscal capacity.
http://tn.gov/tacir/fiscalcapacity.html
Prepared by TACIR