Benton, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benton, Kansas
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Circle Middle School (2006)
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Location within Butler County and Kansas
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| 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 | 1,375 ft (419 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 943 |
| • Density | 673.6/sq mi (260.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
67017
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| Area code | 316 |
| FIPS code | 20-06175 |
| GNIS ID | 2394143 |
Benton is a small city in Butler County, Kansas, United States. It's located northeast of Wichita along the K-254 highway. As of the 2020 census, about 943 people lived in Benton.
Contents
Benton's Story: How the City Began
Benton was started in 1884. It was named after Thomas Benton Murdock, a state politician. The city officially became an incorporated city in 1908.
In 1969, some parts of the movie The Gypsy Moths were filmed in the Benton area.
Benton's Location and Size
According to the United States Census Bureau, Benton covers a total area of about 1.39 square miles (3.62 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Who Lives in Benton?
| 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 | |||
Benton is part of the larger Wichita, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to the economy and community around Wichita.
Benton's Population in 2020
The 2020 United States census counted 943 people living in Benton. There were 375 households, which are groups of people living together. About 266 of these were families.
Most people in Benton, about 89%, were white. About 7% of the population identified as being from two or more races. About 5.5% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
- About 33% of households had children under 18.
- More than half (55.7%) of households were married couples.
- About 24% of households were single individuals.
- The average household had 2.5 people.
The median age in Benton was 39.5 years old. This means half the people were younger and half were older than 39.5.
- About 26% of the population was under 18 years old.
- About 15% of the population was 65 years or older.
Benton's Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 880 people living in Benton. There were 325 households.
- About 43% of households had children under 18.
- Most people (97.3%) were white.
- About 2.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The median age in 2010 was 36 years.
- About 29% of residents were under 18.
- About 13% were 65 or older.
Learning in Benton: Schools
The public schools in Benton are part of the Circle USD 375 school district. Benton is home to two schools: Circle Benton Elementary and Circle Middle School. You can see the middle school from the K-254 highway.
Benton used to have its own high school, called Benton High School. It closed when schools were combined. The Benton Tigers baseball team won the Kansas State High School class B championship in 1957!
Circle Middle School: Home of the Thunderbolts
Circle Middle School is where students from Circle Benton Elementary, Circle Towanda Elementary, Circle Greenwich Elementary, and Circle Oil Hill Elementary go for seventh and eighth grades. The school's sports teams are called the Thunderbolts, and they are part of the Walnut Valley League (WVL). After finishing middle school, students go to Circle High School in Towanda.
Circle Middle School was built because the older elementary schools became too full. Many families moved to the area for jobs in nearby cities like Wichita, El Dorado, and Andover. The school board decided to build a new middle school in Benton. It was finished in the summer of 2002, and classes started that fall. The first group of 8th graders to attend the new middle school graduated from Circle High School in 2007.
Images for kids
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Circle Middle School (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Benton (Kansas) para niños
