Editing Benham, Kentucky

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Benham, Kentucky
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = 
|nickname                 = The Little Town That [[International Harvester]], Coal Miners, and Their Families Built
|settlement_type          = [[list of cities in Kentucky|City]]
|motto                    = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = City_Hall_Benham_KY.png
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Benham City Hall
|image_flag               = 
|flag_size                = 
|image_seal               = 
|seal_size                = 
|image_shield             = 
|shield_size              = 
|image_blank_emblem       = 
|blank_emblem_type        = 
|blank_emblem_size        = 
|image_map                = File:Harlan County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Benham Highlighted 2105662.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Benham in Harlan County, Kentucky.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|image_dot_map            = 
|dot_mapsize              = 
|dot_map_caption          = 
|dot_x                    = 
|dot_y                    = 
|pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          = 
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Kentucky]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Harlan County, Kentucky|Harlan]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Howard White
|leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
|leader_name1             = 
|leader_title2            = 
|leader_name2             = 
|leader_title3            = 
|leader_name3             = 
|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = Incorporated
|established_date2        = March 7, 1961
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 18, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 0.61
|area_land_km2            = 0.61
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.23
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.23
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_blank1_title        = 
|area_blank1_km2          = 
|area_blank1_sq_mi        = 
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 512
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_km2   = 843.93
<!--2018 est.-->
|population_density_sq_mi = 2188.03
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_metro_km2     = 
|population_density_metro_sq_mi   = 
|population_urban                 = 
|population_density_urban_km2     = 
|population_density_urban_sq_mi   = 
|population_blank1_title          = 
|population_blank1                = 
|population_density_blank1_km2    = 
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi  = 
<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|57|53|N|82|57|13|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 485
|elevation_ft             = 1591
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 40807
|area_code                = [[Area code 606|606]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 21-05662
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0486849
|website                  = {{URL|www.benhamky.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Benham''' is a [[List of cities in Kentucky|home rule-class city]] in [[Harlan County, Kentucky|Harlan County]], [[Kentucky]], in the United States. The city was formally incorporated by the [[Kentucky General Assembly|General Assembly]] in 1961.<ref>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Benham, Kentucky". Accessed 15 July 2013.</ref> The population was 512 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Census.gov |url=https://www.census.gov/en.html |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=Census.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> up from 500 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].

== History ==
Benham was originally a [[company town]] for [[International Harvester]]. The [[Benham Historic District]] is on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of the [[coal town]].

==Geography==
Benham is located in eastern Harlan County at {{coord|36|57|53|N|82|57|15|W|type:city}} (36.964832, -82.954035),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> in the valley of [[Looney Creek (Poor Fork tributary)|Looney Creek]], between Looney Ridge to the north and Benham Spur to the south. Looney Creek flows west to the [[Poor Fork (Cumberland River)|Poor Fork]] of the [[Cumberland River]] in neighboring [[Cumberland, Kentucky|Cumberland]].

[[Kentucky Route 160]] is Benham's Main Street, leading west {{convert|2.5|mi}} to Cumberland and east through [[Lynch, Kentucky|Lynch]] {{convert|9|mi|0}} to the [[Virginia]] border at the crest of [[Black Mountain (Kentucky)|Black Mountain]] just north of its summit, the highest point in Kentucky.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Benham has a total area of {{convert|0.6|km2|order=flip}}, all of it land.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Benham city, Kentucky |url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2105662 |access-date=June 27, 2017 |work=American Factfinder |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 1000
|1980= 936
|1990= 717
|2000= 599
|2010= 500
|2020= 512
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 599 people, 248 households, and 181 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,519.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 288 housing units at an average density of {{convert|730.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 88.81% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 9.85% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.33% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.33% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.50% of the population.

There were 248 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,250, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $24,844 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,174. About 18.1% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Environmental concerns==
In 2010, various city employees and residents expressed concern for the city's relatively high-quality drinking water. While many claimed that the drinking water is cleaner than water anywhere else in the general area, many argued that underground coal mining will contaminate public water supplies for both Benham and the adjacent city of [[Lynch, Kentucky|Lynch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Benham & Lynch Underground Water Reservoirs Threatened|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLG6G0RWuAw| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615002426/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLG6G0RWuAw| archive-date=2014-06-15 | url-status=dead|access-date=26 July 2012|date=2010-10-04}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Bernie Bickerstaff]], [[NBA]] executive and head coach

==See also==
*[[Benham-Lynch State Resort Park]], proposed
*[[Kentucky Coal Museum]]

==Gallery==

<!-- This gallery is for the use of future editors who may wish to expand the article. Please do not delete it. -->
<gallery class="center">
Image:KY Coal Mining Museum.png|Kentucky Coal Museum
Image:Benham Schoolhouse Inn.png|Benham Schoolhouse Inn
File:Coal Miners Statue.jpg|Coal Miner Statue
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Harlan County, Kentucky}}
{{Eastern Mountain Coal Fields (Kentucky)}} 
{{Kentucky}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1961]]
[[Category:Cities in Harlan County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Company towns in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Coal towns in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Navistar]]