| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,166 | 8,526 | 10,769 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,180 | 8,109 | 10,484 | |
| 2016 | R | 2,025 | 7,213 | 9,590 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,925 | 6,069 | 9,157 | |
| 2008 | R | 3,629 | 5,759 | 9,567 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,381 | 5,575 | 9,009 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,150 | 4,218 | 7,534 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,996 | 2,895 | 6,715 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,195 | 2,511 | 7,276 | |
| 1988 | R | 2,654 | 3,467 | 6,145 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,251 | 3,805 | 6,056 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,241 | 3,451 | 5,852 | |
| 1976 | R | 2,684 | 2,875 | 5,587 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,423 | 3,537 | 4,960 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,345 | 2,899 | 4,742 | |
| 1964 | R | 2,030 | 2,477 | 4,507 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,496 | 3,484 | 4,980 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,563 | 3,145 | 4,708 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,303 | 3,470 | 4,799 | |
| 1948 | R | 1,360 | 2,768 | 4,131 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,108 | 3,294 | 4,408 | |
| 1940 | R | 1,765 | 3,912 | 5,695 | |
| 1936 | R | 1,950 | 3,375 | 5,346 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,596 | 2,038 | 4,672 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,296 | 3,411 | 4,716 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,588 | 2,693 | 4,436 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,506 | 3,367 | 4,915 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,285 | 1,842 | 3,183 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,209 | 1,142 | 3,055 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,280 | 1,924 | 3,256 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,372 | 1,963 | 3,444 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,532 | 1,980 | 3,640 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,762 | 1,957 | 3,782 | |
| 1892 | R | 1,058 | 1,570 | 3,078 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Benton County's R+59.1 margin in 2024 places it among the most heavily one-sided counties in the state, reflecting a broader rural consolidation pattern that has accelerated across the Ozarks over the past two decades.
The Democratic margin in Benton County peaked at twelve points in 1932. By 2000 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was fifty-nine points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Benton County's median household income of $52,567 sits well below state and national norms, and 20% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of St. Clair County and Maries County.