Benson, Arizona

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Coordinates: 31°57′20″N, 110°18′24″W
City of Benson, Arizona
Location in Cochise County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Counties	Cochise
Founded	1880
Government
- Mayor	George Scott
Area
- City	35.7 sq mi (92.5 km²)
Population (2006)^[1]
- City	4,934
- Density	138.2/sq mi (53.3/km²)
Time zone	MST (no daylight saving time) (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.cityofbenson.com/

Benson is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, in the United States, 45 miles east-southeast of Tucson. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,934.^[1]

The city was founded in 1880 when the Southern Pacific Railroad came through. It was named after Judge William B. Benson, a friend of the president of the railroad.

The city is perhaps best known as the gateway to Kartchner Caverns State Park.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Weather
4 Media References
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Benson is located at 31°57′10″N, 110°18′24″W (31.95288, -110.30677)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 92.5 km² (35.7 mi²), none of which is covered by water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,711 people, 2,084 households, and 1,346 families residing in the city. The population density was 50.9/km² (131.9/mi²). There were 2,822 housing units at an average density of 30.5/km² (79.0/mi²).

The racial makeup of the city was 89.32% White, 19.85% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 1.29% Native American, 0.72% Black or African American, 0.47% Asian, and 0.13% Pacific Islander. 5.69% were from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races.

There were 2,084 households out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,289, and the median income for a family was $36,364. Males had a median income of $34,013 versus $18,964 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,315. About 6.2% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Weather

Similar to other desert plains areas of Arizona, Benson receives little rainfall and is relatively hot. Snow can occasionally be seen in the winter.

[edit] Media References

"Benson, Arizona" is the name of the theme song to the movie Dark Star.
In a tip of the hat to Dark Star, the Avengers crossover story "Operation Galactic Storm", which is about a war between alien races, commences in Benson.