Benton County (Washington)

Benton County Courthouse in Prosser
administration
US state :	Washington
Administrative headquarters :	Prosser
Foundation :	1905
Demographics
Residents :	175,177  (2010)
Population density :	39.8 inhabitants / km 2
geography
Total area :	4558 km²
Water surface :	154 km²
map
Website : www.co.benton.wa.us

Benton County is a county in the state of Washington in the United States . The county seat is Prosser , the largest city is Kennewick .

geography

Benton County is in the south of the state. The north, south and east borders are formed by the Columbia River . The county has an area of ​​4,558 square kilometers, of which 154 square kilometers (3.4 percent) are water.

history

Thomas Hart Benton

The county was founded on March 8, 1905 and named after Thomas Hart Benton , the Senator from Missouri .

In 1943, the Hanford Site nuclear facility was built in the Hanford Reach bend of the Columbia River as part of the Manhattan Project . This is where the plutonium was produced for the Trinity test atomic bombs and the attack on Nagasaki . After the plant was shut down, Bill Clinton dedicated large parts of the site as a nature reserve to Hanford Reach National Monument in 2000 .

Demographic data

Population development
Census	Residents		± in%
1910	7937		-
1920	10,903		37.4%
1930	10,952		0.4%
1940	12,053		10.1%
1950	51,370		326.2%
1960	62,070		20.8%
1970	67,540		8.8%
1980	109,444		62%
1990	112,560		2.8%
2000	142,475		26.6%
2010	175.177		23%
1900-1990 2000 Age pyramid of Benton County (as of 2000)

A railway lift bridge near Burbank

The Columbia Park near Kennewick

According to the 2000 census , the county had 142,475 people. There were 52,866 households and 38,063 families. The population density was 32 inhabitants per square kilometer. The racial the population was composed of 86.25% White, 0.93% African American, 0.82% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, and 7.01% other races Groups; 2.69% were from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 12.50% of the population.

Of the 52,866 households, 38.20% had children and young people under the age of 18 living with them. 57.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% were single mothers. 28.00% were not families. 23.20% were single households and 7.70% had someone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17.

For the entire county, the population was composed of 29.70% residents under 18 years of age, 8.60% between 18 and 24 years of age, 28.50% between 25 and 44 years of age, and 22.90% between 45 and 64 years of age 10.30% were 65 years of age or over. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over there were 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 had a median income of $ 45,556 versus $ 27,232 for females. The per capita income was $ 21,301. 10.30% of the population and 7.80% of families are below the poverty line. 14.30% of them were under 18 years of age and 6.90% were 65 years of age or older.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Benton County in the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System . Retrieved February 22, 2011
2. ↑ Extract from Census.gov . Retrieved February 28, 2011
3. ↑ Excerpt from factfinder.census.gov.Retrieved February 28, 2011

Web links

Commons : Benton County, Washington  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

• Benton County (English)
• Entry in the Washington encyclopedia HistoryLink (English)

Coordinates: 46 ° 15 ′  N , 119 ° 30 ′  W