What stands out worked out from the figures below

Putnam has the shortest commute (21 min average).

Benson has the most people working from home (18.6%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Putnam	Benson
People
Population	540Lowest	784Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	53.6±6.4Highest 38% above U.S.	51.9±9.4Lowest 33% above U.S.
	Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	16.5%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	35.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	26.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	32.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Benson and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,344±$14kHighest 14% above U.S.	$78,625±$8kLowest about the U.S. average
	Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$266,200±$48kHighest 20% below U.S.	$242,000±$26kLowest 27% below U.S.
	Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,113±$170 21% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,674Lowest 18% above U.S.	$4,125Highest 32% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	53.4%±35.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Benson and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.	32 minHighest 20% above U.S.
Work from home	8.6%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Benson and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	PUTNAM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.