Photo: Alfredo Carrillo · CC BY 2.0Bentonville spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Bentonville’s city government spent $75.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,298 per resident. Water and other utilities ($82.7 million) are counted separately.
Library Advisory Board
5:00 pm · Bentonville Public Library, 405 South Main Street
All meetings →What stands out about how Bentonville is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Bentonville’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Library Advisory BoardWednesday · 5:00 pm · Bentonville Public Library, 405 South Main StreetLibrary Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Airport Advisory BoardThursday · 3:00 pm · 305 SW "A" StreetAirport Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9City Council InformationalMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, 305 SW A StBudget Review WorkshopMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Finance CommitteeTuesday · 4:30 pm · 305 SW 'A' StreetFinance Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Combined Committee of the Whole & City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 305 SW A StCombined Committee of the Whole and City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10GeneralTuesday · 6:00 pm · 305 SW A StBudget ReviewMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3Planning CommissionTuesday · 4:30 pm · Community Development Building, 305 SW A StreetPlanning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Utility BoardTuesday · 11:30 am · City Hall, 305 SW 'A' StreetUtility Board - November 3, 2026 - Meeting CanceledMeeting page ↗
- Nov2Parks & Recreation Advisory BoardMonday · 5:00 pm · Adult Recreation Center, 215 SW A StreetParks and Recreation Advisory BoardAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Traffic Safety and Signage CommitteeMonday · 2:00 pmAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct29Airport Advisory BoardThursday · 3:00 pm · 305 SW "A" StreetAirport Advisory Board/Capital Improvement PlanAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,298 per resident a year, or $3.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,097 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Bentonville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,097 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 17 Arkansas cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $950, and the middle half spent $856–$1,158. Bentonville spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.8 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bentonville itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bentonville 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: $1,097 · 2023: $1,280 · 2024: $1,298.
full-time in March 2025, up from 538 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 $2,871 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% 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 Bentonville’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 Bentonville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bentonville →
Who’s in charge in Bentonville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 87 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (57,868).
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.
Bentonville Public Schools
Bentonville’s K–12 school district, shared with Centerton, Cave Springs, Highfill, Bella Vista. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,660 per pupil, $7,393 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.
Rogers Public Schools · $12,206 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bentonville’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bentonville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Benton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.1%79,798 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.2%45,150 votesOthers: 2.7% (3,452 votes).
Most votes in Benton County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Bentonville lies in Benton County. Every 2024 race in Benton County is on the county’s page.
Benton 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
Bentonville sends 4 representatives to the Arkansas House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bentonvillear.com ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseBentonville is split between 5 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 Bentonville compares with the towns next door
Bentonville spent $1,097 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $591 to $950. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Little Flock | $591 | $3,005 |
| Bella Vista | $622 | $1,796 |
| Rogers | $950 | $1,565 |
| Centerton | estimate | $2,031 |
| Cave Springs | estimate | $2,939 |
| Highfill | estimate | $1,972 |
| Bentonville | $1,097 | $2,871 |
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 Bentonville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bentonville’s government
How much does Bentonville spend per resident?
About $1,298 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,097 was more than 71% of 17 Arkansas cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bentonville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,871 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bentonvillear.com.
Who runs Bentonville’s government?
See bentonvillear.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bentonville yet.
How did Bentonville vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bentonville alone. Benton County, where 100% of Bentonville lies, voted Trump 62.1%, Harris 35.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bentonville?
662 full-time and 121 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.2M (about $50.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bentonville in the state legislature?
Bentonville is split among 5 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Arkansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Bentonville?
The next posted meeting is Library Advisory Board on Wednesday, November 4, at 5:00 pm in Bentonville Public Library, 405 South Main Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Bentonville’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 →