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Benton, Kansas
Circle Middle School (2006)
Circle Middle School (2006)
Location within Butler County and Kansas
Location within Butler County and Kansas
KDOT map of Butler County (legend)
Country United States
State Kansas
County Butler
Founded 1884
Incorporated 1909
Named for Thomas Benton Murdock
Government
 • Type Council-Mayor
Area
 • Total 1.40 sq mi (3.62 km2)
 • Land 1.40 sq mi (3.62 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,378 ft (420 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 943
 • Density 673.6/sq mi (260.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67017
Area code 316
FIPS code 20-06175
GNIS ID 473887

Benton is a city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 943.

Geography

Benton is located at 37°47′21″N 97°6′30″W / 37.78917°N 97.10833°W / 37.78917; -97.10833 (37.789302, -97.108402). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.39 square miles (3.60 km2), all of it land.

History

Benton was founded in 1884. It was named for Thomas Benton Murdock, a state politician. Benton was incorporated as a city in 1908.

In 1969, part of the film The Gypsy Moths was shot in the Benton area.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 240
1920 224 −6.7%
1930 253 12.9%
1940 235 −7.1%
1950 269 14.5%
1960 452 68.0%
1970 517 14.4%
1980 609 17.8%
1990 669 9.9%
2000 827 23.6%
2010 880 6.4%
2020 943 7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 880 people, 325 households, and 254 families residing in the city. The population density was 633.1 inhabitants per square mile (244.4/km2). There were 360 housing units at an average density of 259.0 per square mile (100.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.3% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.

There were 325 households, of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median age in the city was 36 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Education

The community is served by Circle USD 375 public school district. Benton is home to Circle Benton Elementary and Circle Middle School. The middle school is visible as one drives on the highway past K-254.

Benton High School was closed through school unification. The Benton Tigers won the Kansas State High School class B baseball championship in 1957.

Circle Middle School

Circle Middle School is the home of the Thunderbolts. The school is a part of the Walnut Valley League (WVL). Students from Circle Benton Elementary, Circle Towanda Elementary, Circle Greenwich Elementary, and Circle Oil Hill Elementary attend this school in their seventh and eighth grades. After graduating, the students move onto Circle High School in Towanda.

Circle Middle School used to be a combination of Circle Benton Elementary and Circle Towanda Elementary, which, at the time, were both K-8 schools. Circle Oil Hill Elementary bused their kids over to Circle Towanda Elementary for classes. When the schools became too crowded due to the influx of jobs in nearby Wichita, El Dorado, and Andover, the school board voted to build a middle school in Benton. The project was completed by Summer 2002. Classes began in the fall. The first 8th grade class to go through the middle school graduated in 2007 from Circle High School.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Benton (Kansas) para niños

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