What Benton County, Oregon does

Benton County, Oregon is a county government entity established in 1888 and headquartered at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, Oregon, serving approximately 93,000 residents across the cities of Corvallis, Philomath, Monroe, Adair, and surrounding unincorporated areas. It delivers a broad portfolio of statutory public services through six core operating divisions: the Health Department (including Community Health Centers of Benton & Linn Counties, a federally qualified health center), the Sheriff's Office (law enforcement, jail, juvenile, parole/probation), Community Development (planning, building, historic preservation), the Juvenile Department, Benton Area Transit, and the Coffin Butte Landfill. The county also administers property assessment and tax collection, elections, vital records, and natural areas/parks/event facilities.

The county operates a digital services platform at bentoncountyor.gov offering property search, online property tax payment, the Permit Application & License Search (PALS) tool, ePermitting, GIS/mapping, public health portals, and Board of Commissioners meeting access. Service delivery is multi-channel: in-person at five Corvallis facilities, self-serve online portals, public transit, and community-based partner locations. The county engages residents through approximately 20 advisory boards and commissions and maintains an active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Nextdoor, plus an email newsletter and the Benton Public Podcast.

Benton County is funded primarily through property tax revenue, state and federal grants (including significant allocations from OHCS for housing, OHA for public health, HRSA for justice-involved care, and DLCD for planning), and small program fees such as the $150 ServSafe Food Manager Training. Key recent strategic actions include the denial of the Coffin Butte Landfill expansion (under LUBA appeal), receipt of $2.4M+ in state housing funding, a federal HRSA grant as part of a $52M justice-involved care initiative, and the January 2025 launch of a Behavioral Health Deflection Program. Leadership transitioned with Rick Crager appointed County Administrator on June 2, 2026, and Sara Hartstein confirmed as permanent Public Health Division Director on November 1, 2024.

Name

Benton County, Oregon

Legal name

Benton County, Oregon

Website

https://bentoncountyor.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Benton County, Oregon is a county government headquartered in Corvallis, established in 1888, delivering statutory public services — including public health, public safety, land use, transit, property assessment, elections, and behavioral health — to approximately 93,000 residents across the county.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Public Administration

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Legal Counsel and Prosecution (92213), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB), State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO), State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), State/Provincial Taxation & Revenue Administration (BPAIABAD)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public health programs
• Law enforcement services
• Property tax administration
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Corvallis, Oregon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Primary funding source for county operations, collected from residential and commercial property owners within Benton County boundaries.
2. State and Federal Grants: Major funding stream including state housing and shelter grants ($1,175,000 for emergency shelter, $1,266,000 for rehousing), federal HRSA grants for justice-involved care ($52 million initiative, county-specific portion), and Oregon Housing & Community Services allocations from HB 5019.
3. Program Fees and Charges: Fees for specific county services such as the Food Manager Training course ($150 per person), health clinic services, building permits, and other regulatory services.
4. Oregon Basic Health Program (BHP) State Allocation: State-funded healthcare coverage program for Oregonians earning 138% to 200% of the federal poverty level, administered through county health services partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Benton County, Oregon is a county government providing public administration and direct services to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction. Its core offerings include public safety and law enforcement (Sheriff's Office and Jail), public health and behavioral health programs (Health Department, Community Health Centers, Crisis Center), property assessment and tax collection, land use planning and building permitting (including the PALS and ePermitting tools), public transportation (Benton Area Transit), elections administration, environmental health (Coffin Butte Landfill, domestic well testing), parks and natural areas management, and services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Product overview

Benton County, Oregon provides a comprehensive digital portal offering citizen services across multiple domains. The primary digital offerings include property search and tax payment systems, Benton Area Transit (BAT) public transportation services, electronic permitting (ePermitting), the Permit Application & License Search (PALS) tool, and GIS mapping services. The county's health services division operates the Community Health Centers of Benton & Linn Counties (federally qualified health centers), the Benton County Crisis Center for mental health crisis intervention, behavioral health services including ACT and Supported Employment programs, developmental diversity programs for individuals with disabilities, and general public health services. Additional services include Natural Areas/Parks & Events management, Coffin Butte Landfill services, Board of Commissioners meeting access, and vital records/elections services. The county operates 20+ advisory boards and provides community engagement opportunities through volunteer programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Search
• Pay Property Taxes
• Benton Area Transit (BAT)
• Permit, Application & License Search (PALS)
• Maps/GIS
• ePermitting
• Coffin Butte Landfill
• Community Health Centers of Benton & Linn Counties
• Benton County Crisis Center
• Behavioral Health Services
• Developmental Diversity Program
• Children & Family Mental Health Services
• Public Health Services
• Natural Areas, Parks & Events
• Board of Commissioners Meetings
• Vital Records & Elections
• Food Manager Safety Training Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% increase in homelessness since 2015; currently serving approximately 300 unhoused individuals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oregon State University (OSU) Extension ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Benton County Health Department partnered with OSU Extension Service to offer free domestic well testing for up to 200 wells by June 30, 2025. OSU interns collect samples testing for arsenic, coliform bacteria, and nitrate. The program prioritizes rural and low-income households, with free community educational seminars hosted in Monroe/Alpine, Alsea, Philomath, and Blodgett/Kings Valley.
• Partnership for Community Health: Linn, Benton & Lincoln CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration established in 2022 for community health assessment and improvement planning across the tri-county region. The Partnership guides resource allocation to improve health outcomes for all residents of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties, developing the 2024-2028 Regional Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) with priorities around affordable housing, quality care access, behavioral health, and equity/inclusion.
• Unity SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency shelter funding recipient from the State of Oregon ($1,175,000) for sheltering operations. Part of the state's larger effort via HB 5019 to support local communities in transitioning people out of homelessness. Unity Shelter serves as the designated emergency shelter provider in Benton County's coordinated homeless response.
• Oregon Housing & Community Services (OHCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency administering the $1.266 million rehousing funding allocation for Benton County under Governor Kotek's shelter and rehousing initiative (HB 5019). OHCS provides funding oversight, timeline guidance, and process coordination for rapid rehousing programs targeting approximately 300 unhoused individuals in Benton County.
• Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerODOT is working on an interpretive installation for the Van Buren Bridge, incorporating the turning mechanism and pony truss from the old bridge into a new public display. Benton County's Community Development department is gathering public feedback on the interpretive exhibit location and design through March 2025.
• Community Services Consortium (CSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSC coordinates the tri-county (Linn-Benton-Lincoln) Point in Time (PIT) Count for homelessness, a volunteer effort to understand the number of unhoused individuals used for local, state, and federal funding decisions. CSC also coordinates regional homelessness response across the tri-county area.
• ServSafe National Restaurant AssociationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBenton County Environmental Health partners with ServSafe to provide food manager safety training courses that meet the State of Oregon's demonstration-of-knowledge requirements for food managers. The course is offered at $150 per person and results in ServSafe certification valid for five years.
• Oregon Health Authority (OHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHA supports Benton's public health programs including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline survey, COVID-19 vaccine distribution, pertussis response, and the Basic Health Program (BHP). Also partnered on the Rethink the Drink initiative and behavioral health deflection programs.
• Oregon Tobacco Quit LineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree telephone and web-based cessation service promoted by Benton County's Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. Available at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) and 1-855-DEJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) for Spanish speakers. TTY: 1-877-777-6534.
• Lane County Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on the Rethink the Drink campaign encouraging safe celebrations during OSU (Beavers) and UO (Ducks) football seasons, addressing alcohol-related harms in the extended region.
• Lincoln CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-county regional collaboration through the Partnership for Community Health. Also collaborated on Wildfire Awareness Month campaign (May 2025) and joint health and safety initiatives across Benton and Lincoln counties.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lane County, Oregon: Larger Oregon county that partners directly with Benton on the Rethink the Drink regional behavioral health campaign and shares OSU/UO athletics cross-county populations; structural similarities in transit, public health, and land-use planning make it a high-quality peer.
• Lincoln County, Oregon: Tri-county partner in the Partnership for Community Health and joint collaborator on Wildfire Awareness Month campaigns; comparable rural-coastal Oregon county scale and shared CHIP make this a natural peer set member.
• Linn County, Oregon: Adjacent Oregon county and explicit regional partner through the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Partnership for Community Health and joint CHC operations; comparable population scale and service mix makes it the most directly comparable peer for Benton County.

Broad incumbents

• Washington County, Oregon: Oregon urban-fringe county serving a metro-area population with comparable public-health, CHC, and land-use operations; provides a relevant peer for what Benton County's service delivery could look like at higher growth scale.
• Clackamas County, Oregon: Mid-sized Oregon county running comparable Health, Sheriff, Community Development, and Transit divisions; useful structural peer even though its population is materially larger than Benton's.
• Marion County, Oregon: Salem-area Oregon county with similar public-health, behavioral-health deflection, and CHC programs; relevant comparator for how a county of comparable regional rank delivers shared services.
• Multnomah County, Oregon: Portland-area Oregon county operating at much larger scale but offering the same core service taxonomy (Health, Sheriff, Community Development, Transit, Land Use); useful as a senior-tier Oregon peer benchmark.
• Jackson County, Oregon: Southern Oregon county with similar service breadth across health, public safety, and land use; provides a peer reference point for counties of similar governance complexity within Oregon.
• Deschutes County, Oregon: Larger central-Oregon county with broader budget and service portfolio but similar rural-urban mix and adjacent public-health, permitting, and transit functions; useful benchmark for upper-end county scale in Oregon.

Regional players

• Yamhill County, Oregon: Adjacent Willamette Valley county with similar population scale and rural-suburban mix; not a direct service-area competitor but a regional Oregon county peer for benchmarking operating models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BentonCoGov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEwNH7PIM0c5u7yTnTDoSWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BentonCoGov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benton-county-oregon
• Instagraminstagram.com/bentoncogov

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Benton County, Oregon