Photo: User:Rmcclen. Original uploader was Rmcclen at en.wikipedia · Public domainBenton spent less per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Benton’s city government spent $35.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $997 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($25.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Benton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$865 per resident in 2022: less than 73% of them
Benton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($865 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Arkansas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,032, and the middle half spent $862–$1,144. Benton spent less than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arkansas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton itself left out).
About $997 per resident a year, or $2.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Benton reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $865 · 2023: $997.
full-time in March 2025, up from 233 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,352 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benton’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Benton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton →
Who’s in charge in Benton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Benton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on benton.ar.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 141 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (35,675).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Benton School District
Benton’s K–12 school district, shared with Lonsdale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,732 per pupil, $6,095 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
Bryant Public Schools · $11,826 per pupil
Bauxite School District · $10,165 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Benton’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Saline County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.0%39,736 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.8%16,609 votesOthers: 2.2% (1,264 votes).
Most votes in Saline County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Benton lies in Saline County. Every 2024 race in Saline County is on the county’s page.
Saline County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Benton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: benton.ar.gov ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseBenton is split between 3 districts
- 3Arkansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Benton compares with the towns next door
Benton spent $865 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $965. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Benton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton’s government
How much does Benton spend per resident?
About $997 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $865 was less than 73% of 30 Arkansas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,352 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see benton.ar.gov.
Who runs Benton’s government?
See benton.ar.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton yet.
How did Benton vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Benton alone. Saline County, where 100% of Benton lies, voted Trump 69.0%, Harris 28.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Benton?
253 full-time and 52 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benton in the state legislature?
Benton is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Arkansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →