Situated where North Carolina's Piedmont Region meets the Coastal Plain, Benson is blessed with a temperate climate characterized by warm summers and mild winters. The climate plus the area's rich soil have given Benson a rich heritage in agriculture. From a cotton and tobacco farmland a generation ago it has become a center for the production and marketing of a number of agricultural products, including soy beans, sweet potatoes, corn, cucumbers and other vegetables, hogs, poultry and cattle. Although Benson remains an important part of the rich, agricultural region, diversification has taken place in the changing economic base as industry has come, giving added opportunities for employment. Benson is located between two river basins, the Neuse and the Cape Fear. Within two hours is the coast and three hours drive is the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hunters and fishermen can enjoy the bountiful wildlife in the area. Several golf courses are located only a few minutes drive away. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy lighted tennis courts, several lighted athletic fields, a swimming pool, and numerous other activities. A full-time recreational director handles these activities plus a very active senior citizens program.

Benson is the site of the county's largest celebration, Benson Mule Days, which takes place annually on the fourth weekend in September. Begun in 1950, Mule Days originated as a harvest festival to honor the surrounding farm community and its beast of burden, the mule.

Over the years the celebration has grown to attract 50,000 for the three day festival with parades, beauty queens, rodeos, street dances, bluegrass music, arts and crafts, and barbecue. The oldest festival in the county, and one of the oldest in the State, takes place on the fourth weekend in June. The State Annual Singing Convention was started in 1921 by five local citizens and is a weekend of gospel singing entertainment and competition. "The Sing" now attracts participants and enthusiasts from several surrounding states. Other attractions include the Benson Museum of Local History, which is located at the Benson Municipal Building, the renovated and historically significant building which formerly housed Benson High School. The town municipal offices, Benson Area Chamber of Commerce, Benson Police Department, and the local court facility are also located in the building.