Benton City, Washington
Location of Benton City, Washington
Coordinates: 46°16′4″N 119°29′18″W / 46.26778, -119.48833
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Benton
Area
- Total	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km²)
- Land	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	499 ft (152 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,624
- Density	1,507.8/sq mi (582.2/km²)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	99320
Area code(s)	509
FIPS code	53-05560[1]
GNIS feature ID	1503314[2]

Benton City sign off of Interstate 82.

Benton City is a city in Benton County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,624 at the 2000 census. The city is strongly associated with nearby Kiona, with which it shares a school district.

History

Benton City was officially incorporated on June 14, 1945.

Geography

Benton City is located at 46°16′4″N, 119°29′18″W (46.267872, -119.488230)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.5 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²) of it is land and 0.57% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,624 people, 894 households, and 660 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,507.8 people per square mile (582.3/km²). There were 1,043 housing units at an average density of 599.3/sq mi (231.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.34% White, 0.15% African American, 1.14% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 10.63% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.51% of the population.

There were 894 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,636, and the median income for a family was $43,036. Males had a median income of $32,464 versus $22,137 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,971. About 11.7% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Benton City remains one the most forgotten cities in Washington. Located in the shadow of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, it suffers from the "Down Winder" effect, which can and has been know to cause cancer. The school district makes many claims; however in the last 20 years it has barely made or not made at all the minimum average for testing scores in all subjects.

See also

• Red Mountain AVA

References

External links

• Kiona-Benton City School District Website
• Benton City Area Photos

• Benton City, Washington is at coordinates 46°16′04″N 119°29′18″W / 46.267872, -119.48823 (Benton City, Washington)Coordinates: 46°16′04″N 119°29′18″W / 46.267872, -119.48823 (Benton City, Washington)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Benton County, Washington
County seat: Prosser
Cities	Benton City | Kennewick | Prosser | Richland | West Richland
CDPs	Finley | Highland
Unincorporated community	Kiona