Sales tax in Benton County, Minnesota
There is no single sales tax rate in Benton County. It runs from 7.375% to 7.875% depending on the exact address, because cities and special districts inside the county levy their own on top of the 6.875% state rate. The 6.875% state rate applies everywhere in the county; everything above that depends on where you are standing.
What is the sales tax rate in Benton County?
| Minnesota state rate | 6.875% |
|---|---|
| Benton County rate | 0.5% |
| Lowest combined rate in the county | 7.375% |
| Highest combined rate in the county | 7.875% |
The two combined figures are the lowest and highest totals found anywhere inside the county. They are not a state rate plus a county rate added together, and adding the rows above will not reproduce them, because cities and special districts levy in between.
Why the rate here is not the whole story
Minnesota's state rate is 6.875 percent and local sales taxes are not automatic. A city or a county has to get specific authority from the Legislature and then win a local referendum, so the local layer is assembled one jurisdiction at a time and the county line is frequently not the tax boundary. Benton County itself levies a 0.5 percent Benton Transit sales tax, which reaches every address in the county. A 0.5 percent St. Cloud Area tax covers St. Augusta, St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, which straddle county lines, so it is a third layer belonging to neither the state nor the county. No city here levies a tax of its own, and the spread up to 7.875 percent comes from an area tax that covers only part of the county. Clothing is exempt from Minnesota sales tax at every rate shown here, which is unusual among states and changes none of the rates. Use the department's Sales Tax Rate Calculator for a specific address rather than a single county figure.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Benton County?
Because the rate changes within the county, an address is the only way to get it right. Use Minnesota's own lookup. A vendor's calculator is not the state speaking.
Who has to collect sales tax in Benton County?
A seller with a physical presence in Minnesota collects at the rate for the address where the sale takes place. A remote seller collects once it passes Minnesota's economic nexus threshold, which is a separate question from the rate and is covered on our sales tax nexus checker. Marketplace facilitators generally collect on behalf of their sellers.
How does Benton County compare?
See Minnesota sales tax for the statewide picture, including the average local rate and what is exempt. Property tax is a separate tax with separate rules: property tax in Benton County.
Sources
- Benton County rates: Minnesota Department of Revenue, Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide, effective October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2026-08/local-sales-and-use-tax-rate-guide-2026-q4.pdf
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, P on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).