Benson County, North Dakota
Benson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,964. Its county seat is Minnewaukan. The county was created on March 9, 1883 by the Dakota Territory legislature, and was named for Bertil W. Benson, a Dakota Territory legislator at the time. The county government was organized on June 4, 1884, and its boundary lines were altered by two legislative actions in 1885. White Horse Hill National Game Preserve and much of the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation are located within the county. Geography. Much of  the east boundary line of Benson County is delineated by the shore of Devils Lake, a closed-capture lake which would spill into the Sheyenne River in an overflow condition. The North Fork Sheyenne River flows southeasterly through the lower SW portion of the county. The terrain of Benson County consists of rolling hills dotted with lakes, ponds and drainages. The terrain slopes to the east, and its highest point is on the lower portion of its west boundary line, at 1,624' (495m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.5%) is water . Demographics. 2000 census. As of the 2000 census, there were 6,964 people, 2,328 households, and 1,701 families in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (2/km). There were 2,932 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km). The racial makeup of the county was mostly White (50.85%) and Native American (48.05%). In addition, 0.10% are Black/African American, 0.01% are Asian, 0.01% are Pacific Islander, 0.16% are from other races, and 0.82% are from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.2 % were of Norwegian and 14.8% German ancestry. There were 2,328 households, out of which 38.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.50% were married couples living together, 16.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.48. The county population contained 36.10% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 23.30% from 25 to  44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $26,688, and the median income for a family was $31,558. Males had a median income of $23,056 versus $17,862 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,509. About 24.40% of families and 29.10% of the population were below the poverty  line, including 38.90% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over. 2010 census. As of the 2010 census, there were 6,660 people, 2,233 households, and 1,628 families in the county. The population density was . There were 2,950 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 55.0% American Indian, 43.4% white, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.0% were Norwegian, 18.0% were German, 5.0% were Irish, and 0.6% were  American. Of the 2,233 households, 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.1% were non-families, and 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.46. The median age was 31.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $30,479 and the median income for a family was $34,597. Males had a median income of $31,729 versus $25,253 for females. The  per capita income for the county was $14,545. About 26.1% of families and 35.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over. Communities. Cities and CDPs have population included as of 2020, and townships have the population as of 2020. The largest community by far is Fort Totten, followed by Leeds, Maddock and the county seat, Minnewaukan. There are nine cities in the county. The largest township by a 60% margin is Mission (935), which is on the south shore of Devils Lake and  is popular for vacationing, as well as gambling at the Spirit Lake Casino and Resort. It is within the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. It is followed by Wood Lake Township (471), immediately to the south of Mission Township and also included in the reservation. The third largest is Lallie Township (325), to the west of Fort Totten on the south shore of Devils Lake and within the reservation. Politics. Typical of many counties in the state where a significant share of the population is Native American, Benson County leans Democratic in presidential elections. Prior to 2020, no Republican candidate had  won the majority of the county's votes since Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, George W. Bush in 2000 & Donald Trump in 2016 both won a plurality of the county's votes.