Jamie Stitt
Assistant Commissioner, Business and Workforce Development
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., Nashville, TN 37243Common Search Terms
Benton County
County Profile ToolBenton County
Population & Demographics
Location
Time Zone
Central Time Zone
Grand Division
West Tennessee
Area (Square Miles)
394.1
County Seat
Camden
Metropolitan Area
West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
ECD Region
Northwest
Population
Population
(2014)
16,489
Population
(2019)
15,864
Population Change
(2014 - 2019)
-3.80%
Population Forecast
(2040)
15,979
Foreign Born Population
249
Foreign Born Persons (Percentage of Population)
1.50%
Language Other Than English Spoken At Home
1.10%
Civilian Veteran Population
1,295
Race (Percentage of Population)
White Alone
91.30%
Black or African American, alone
2.00%
American Indian And Alaska Native, alone
0.40%
Asian, alone
0.70%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, alone
0.00%
Some Other Race, alone
0.80%
Two or More Races
4.80%
Hispanic or Latino
2.40%
Age (Percentage of Population)
Male
Female
Total
Under 5 Years Old
Male: 4.90%
Female: 4.30%
Total: 4.60%
Under 18 Years Old
Male: 21.00%
Female: 18.00%
Total: 19.50%
18-64 Years Old
Male: 57.00%
Female: 56.40%
Total: 56.70%
65 Years and Over
Male: 22.00%
Female: 25.60%
Total: 23.80%
Median Age
Male: 46.4
Female: 49.4
Total: 47.9
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey
U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 Annual Population Estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Tennessee State Data Center (2018)
Housing & Income
Housing & Income
Households
6,786
Homeownership Rate
77.1%
Persons Per Household
2.36
Living In Same House 1 Year & Over
92.3%
Median Home Value
$85,600
Annual Home Sales
148
Median Sale Price of Homes Sold
$96,250
Persons In Households With Income Below Poverty Level
19.5%
Total Personal Income
$557,230
Personal Income Per Capita
$34,482
County Median Wage
$15.75
Household Income & Benefits
Percent of Household
Less Than $10,000
10.3%
$10,000 to $14,999
8.7%
$15,000 to $24,999
17.0%
$25,000 to $34,999
10.9%
$35,000 to $49,999
16.3%
$50,000 to $74,999
17.5%
$75,000 to $99,999
9.5%
$100,000 to $149,999
4.9%
$150,000 to $199,999
2.5%
$200,000 or More
2.3%
Median Household Income
$37,512
Percentage of Households by Income Range
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey
Tennessee Housing Development Agency (2019)
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2019)
Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (2020)
Tax Structure
Property Tax
Property Tax Rate (County)
$2.7274
State Property Tax
None
Assessment Ratio: Residential Property
25%
Assessment Ratio: Farm Property
25%
Assessment Ratio: Commercial/Industrial Property
40%
Assessment Ratio: Public Utility Property
55%
Assessment Ratio: Business Personal Property
30%
State Tax
State Income Tax on Wages
None
State Income Tax: Interest from Bonds and Notes and Dividends from Stock
None (Hall Income tax was fully repealed January 1, 2021)
Excise Tax (State)
6.5% of Tennessee taxable income
Franchise Tax (state)
0.25% of the greater of net worth or real and tangible property in Tennessee. The minimum tax is $100.
Unemployment Insurance Tax (state)
2.7% of the first $7,000 in wages for new employers
Sales Tax
State Sales Tax Rate
7.00%
County Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
Local Sales Tax Collections
(FY 2020)
$5,992,053
Local Sales Tax Collections
(FY 2019)
$4,899,185
Local Sales Tax Collections Growth
(FY 2019 - FY 2020)
22.3%
State Bond Ratings
Moody's
Aaa
Standard & Poor's
AAA
Fitch
AAA
Debt per Capita
State Debt per Capita
$986 (lowest in U.S.)
County Debt Per Capita
$529
Sources:
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2020)
Tennessee Department of Revenue (2020)
The Tax Foundation (2020)
Labor Force
Labor Force Estimates (2019)
Tennessee
Benton
Labor Force
Tennessee: 3,287,422
Benton: 6,714
Employment
Tennessee: 3,041,838
Benton: 6,165
Unemployment
Tennessee: 245,584
Benton: 549
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee: 7.5%
Benton: 8.2%
Unemployment Rate*
Tennessee
Benton
2016
Tennessee: 3.7%
Benton: 5.4%
2017
Tennessee: 3.5%
Benton: 4.9%
2018
Tennessee: 3.4%
Benton: 4.4%
2019
Tennessee: 7.5%
Benton: 8.2%
Unemployment Rate (by percentage)
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Industries (2020)
Industry
Employment
Establishments
Avg. Annual Wages
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Employment: 43
Establishments: 4
Avg. Annual Wages: $62,939
Construction
Employment: 196
Establishments: 23
Employment: $62,173
Manufacturing
Employment: 745
Establishments: 25
Employment: $43,554
Wholesale Trade
Employment: 88
Establishments: 20
Employment: $53,623
Retail Trade
Employment: 650
Establishments: 50
Employment: $27,773
Transportation and Warehousing
Employment: 141
Establishments: 18
Employment: $47,806
Information
Employment: 38
Establishments: 4
Employment: $28,359
Finance and Insurance
Employment: 252
Establishments: 20
Employment: $53,351
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Employment: 55
Establishments: 15
Employment: $36,461
Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation
Employment: 176
Establishments: 12
Employment: $65,284
Health Care and Social Assistance
Employment: 405
Establishments: 41
Employment: $33,794
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Employment: 14
Establishments: 3
Employment: $13,591
Accommodation and Food Services
Employment: 361
Establishments: 27
Employment: $14,174
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Employment: 63
Establishments: 15
Employment: $34,314
Government
Employment: 835
Establishments: 36
Employment: $40,991
Total
Employment: 4,079
Establishments: 320
Employment: $39,350
Unique Occupations*
Employment
Location Quotient*
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Employment: 20
Location Quotient*: 41.49
Sewing Machine Operators
Employment: 48
Location Quotient*: 13.79
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Employment: 19
Location Quotient*: 7.66
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Employment: 25
Location Quotient*: 7.23
Tool and Die Makers
Employment: 10
Location Quotient*: 5.52
Key Cluster
Total Employment
Advanced Materials
0
Aerospace & Defense
0
Appliances & Electrical
0
Automotive
0
Business Services
18
Chemicals
94
Distribution & Logistics
123
Film, Music & Entertainment
0
Food & Beverage
0
Healthcare & Medical Devices
18
Top Employers
Top County Employers
Estimated Employees
City
Benton County Board of Education
Est. Employees: 328
City: Camden
Walmart Stores, Inc.
Est. Employees: 230
City: Camden
Jones Plastic & Engineering Corp
Est. Employees: 222
City: Camden
Apex Bank
Est. Employees: 200
City: Camden
Carhartt, Inc.
Est. Employees: 199
City: Camden
Benton County Government
Est. Employees: 115
City: Camden
Palmer Tool Llc
Est. Employees: 100
City: Camden
Volunteer Home Care
Est. Employees: 100
City: Camden
Camden General Hospital
Est. Employees: 80
City: Camden
Camden Elementary School
Est. Employees: 70
City: Camden
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation
Nearest Commercial Service Airport
McKellar Sipes (Jackson)
Distance to Nearest Commercial Service Airport
69
Daily Flights At Nearest Commercial Service Airport
7
Nearest General Aviation Airport
Benton County
Runway Length at Nearest General Aviation Airport
5,001'
Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes)
24
Access of Interstate
I-40
U.S. Highways
70, 641
State Highways
1, 69, 147, 191, 192, 391
Nearest Port (From County Seat)
New Johnsonville
Railroads Serving County
CSX
Sources:
Tennessee Department of Transportation
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 5-Year American Community Survey
Education
General Stats
Benton
Tennessee
Population Aged 25-64 With High School Degree Or Higher
Benton: 86.70%
Tennessee: 89.50%
Population Aged 25-64 With Associate's Degree Or Higher
Benton: 19.50%
Tennessee: 36.70%
Population Aged 25-64 With Bachelor's Degree Or Higher
Benton: 13.20%
Tennessee: 28.70%
High School Graduation Rate
Benton: 99%
Tennessee: 89%
College Going Rate
Benton: 56.60%
Tennessee: 63.40%
Average ACT Score
Benton: 20.1
Tennessee: 20.2
High School Graduation Rate
College Going Rate
Average ACT Score
Benton County Schools
Enrollment
Elementary Schools
Enrollment: 943
Middle Schools
Enrollment: 473
High Schools
Enrollment: 689
Regional Higher Education Institutions
City
Enrollment
Bethel University
City: McKenzie
Enrollment: 4,016
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Paris
City: Paris
Enrollment: 592
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McKenzie
City: McKenzie
Enrollment: 289
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 1-Year American Community Survey,
U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 5-Year American Community Survey
Tennessee Department of Education (2017-2018)
National Center for Education Statistics (2016-2017)
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
† Regional higher education institutions include those within the selected and surrounding counties.
Health & Public Safety
Doctors
Number of Doctors
8
Overweight & Obesity Prevalence
Adults*
32.4%
Children** (Grade 8)
43.3%
Regional Hospitals
Number of Beds
City
Camden General Hospital
Number of Beds: 25
City: Camden
Henry County Medical Center
Number of Beds: 142
City: Paris
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Huntingdon
Number of Beds: 70
City: Huntingdon
Perry Community Hospital
Number of Beds: 53
City: Linden
Decatur County General Hospital
Number of Beds: 40
City: Parsons
Houston County Community Hospital
Number of Beds: 25
City: Erin
Three Rivers Hospital
Number of Beds: 25
City: Waverly
Sources:
Tennessee Department of Health (2014)
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (2014)
† Regional hospitals include those within the selected and surrounding counties.
Climate
Climate
Average High Temperature
70.2°F
Average Low Temperature
47.7°F
Average Annual Temperature
59°F
Annual Rainfall
53.51"
Elevation (at County Seat)
450'
Prevailing Winds
South-Southwest
Sources:
usclimatedata.com (2015)
Community Information
Big Sandy
Population (2019)
663
Charter Type
Private Act
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$0.85
Phone Number
(731) 593-3213
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
No
Main Street Participant
No
Camden
Population (2019)
3,582
Charter Type
Private Act
Local Option Sales Tax Rate
2.75%
City Property Tax Rate
$0.94
Phone Number
(731) 584-4656
Retire Tennessee Participant
No
Tennessee Downtowns Participant
No
Main Street Participant
No
Additional Community Information
ThreeStar Certified County
Yes
Sources:
Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service
Tennessee Department of Revenue (2015)
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (2015)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 5-Year American Community Survey