Benton County, Washington
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Benton County is a county located in the south central of the state of Washington. The Columbia River makes up the north, south, and east boundries of the county. As of 2000, the population is 142,475. The county seat is Prosser. It was named after Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,559 km² (1,760 mi²). 4,411 km² (1,703 mi²) of it is land and 148 km² (57 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.24% water.
Geographic features
Sites of interest
Major highways
Map_of_Washington_highlighting_Benton_County.png
Adjacent counties
- Grant County, Washington - north
- Franklin County, Washington - northeast
- Walla Walla County, Washington - east
- Umatilla County, Oregon - south/southeast
- Morrow County, Oregon - south/southwest
- Klickitat County, Washington - west/southwest
- Yakima County, Washington - west
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 142,475 people, 52,866 households, and 38,063 families residing in the county. The population density is 32/km² (84/mi²). There are 55,963 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (33/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 86.25% White, 0.93% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 7.01% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 12.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 52,866 households out of which 38.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% are married couples living together, 10.20% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% are non-families. 23.20% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.70% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.17.
In the county, the population is spread out with 29.70% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $47,044, and the median income for a family is $54,146. Males have a median income of $45,556 versus $27,232 for females. The per capita income for the county is $21,301. 10.30% of the population and 7.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.30% of those under the age of 18 and 6.90% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns