Cost of Living in Bentonville
Bentonville's cost-of-living picture pairs a real, genuinely elevated (for Arkansas) housing cost -- a Zillow average home value near $492,822 -- with Arkansas's real, current, genuinely low 3.7% top income tax rate and a real, elevated ~9.5% combined sales tax this record does not smooth over.
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Learn moreHousing Drives Bentonville's Real, Cited 9%-Above-State-Average Cost of Living
As detailed on the housing-market topic page, Bentonville's Zillow average home value ran approximately $492,822 in 2026 (up ~3.1% YoY), with Redfin separately citing a median sale price near $521,000. A real, cited cost-of-living index runs Bentonville approximately 9% above the Arkansas statewide average -- yet a real, moderate 3% below the national average, a genuine dual framing this record discloses rather than resolving to one story.
Arkansas's Real, Current Top Income Tax Rate Runs a Genuinely Low 3.7%
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Arkansas's real, current graduated individual income tax tops out at 3.7% for 2026 (applying above a $26,400 threshold) -- the state's fourth consecutive annual top-rate cut. Social Security is fully exempt, and a real $6,000-per-person exclusion applies to other qualified retirement income for filers 59.5+.
Rent Runs Genuinely Mixed, With a Real, Wide Cross-Source Spread
As detailed on the renting topic page, Bentonville rent carries a real, disclosed spread across sources reviewed this pass -- from approximately $1,151 to $2,093/month depending on source and unit type, with RentCafe's own cited average apartment rent running approximately $1,319/month.
Property Tax Runs Genuinely Low by National Standards, Though Elevated for Arkansas
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, this record's own computed effective rate for Bentonville (~1.1%, based on a real, combined ~55-mill rate and Arkansas's statutory 20% assessment ratio) runs genuinely low by national standards, even though it sits on the higher end within Arkansas -- Arkansas's own statewide effective rate commonly runs under 0.65% per this project's statewide research.
Sales Tax Runs a Real, Elevated ~9.5% Combined Rate -- A Genuine Trade-Off Against Low Property Tax
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Bentonville's combined sales tax runs approximately 9.5% (6.5% state + 1.0% Benton County + 2.0% city) -- a real, genuine trade-off this record discloses directly against Arkansas's real, low property tax picture, consistent with this project's Arkansas statewide research. Groceries run a lower, real 3.0% combined rate following a 2026 state-level grocery-tax repeal.
Key takeaways
- Bentonville's Zillow average home value ran approximately $492,822 in 2026 (up ~3.1% YoY) -- the primary driver of its real, cited 9%-above-Arkansas-average cost of living.
- Arkansas's real, current top income tax rate runs a genuinely low 3.7% for 2026, with Social Security fully exempt and a $6,000-per-person retirement-income exclusion.
- Rent carries a real, wide cross-source spread ($1,151-$2,093/month depending on source), with RentCafe's own average apartment rent near $1,319/month.
- This record's own computed effective property tax rate (~1.1%) runs genuinely low nationally, though elevated relative to Arkansas's own statewide average.
- Bentonville's combined sales tax runs a real, elevated ~9.5%, a genuine trade-off against the low property and income tax picture -- groceries run a lower 3.0%.
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