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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Bentonville, AR vs Conway, AR

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Bentonville, AR and Conway, AR spend within 5.7% of each other per resident — $14,446 versus $13,672 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

Bentonville, AR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 73/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Conway, AR — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Bentonville, AR carries the lighter load at $246 per resident versus $691 for Conway, AR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bentonville, AR leads with parks and recreation at $1,751 per resident, while Conway, AR leads with education at $3,719.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bentonville, AR at 20% of total revenue, whereas Conway, AR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 48%.

Summary

Bentonville spends 5.7% more per capita than Conway ($774/person difference). Bentonville, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 73/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Bentonville, AR
Pop. 54,513
B
73/100
Budget Balance41
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency86
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Conway, AR
Pop. 65,159
C
57/100
Budget Balance57
Debt Burden11
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency91
Revenue Diversity66
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Bentonville
Conway
Total Spending
$787.5M
$890.9M
Spending / Capita
$14,446
$13,672
Total Revenue
$884.3M
$1.6B
Revenue / Capita
$16,221
$24,189
Total Debt
$13.4M
$45.0M
Debt / Capita
$246
$691
Population
54,513
65,159
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Bentonville$226
Conway$304
Highways & Roads
Bentonville$0
Conway$123
Parks & Recreation
Bentonville$1,751
Conway$602
Education
Bentonville$0
Conway$3,719
Health
Bentonville$352
Conway$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BentonvilleConway
Property Tax
$10
$2
Sales Tax
$752
$191
Income Tax
$1,252
$1,701
Intergovernmental
$2,248
$11,711
Charges & Fees
$2,597
$2,104
Other
$3,321
$3,132

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BentonvilleConway
Fire Protection
$226
$304
Highways & Roads
$0
$123
Education
$0
$3,719
Public Welfare
$890
$678
Health
$352
$0
Hospitals
$0
$195
Parks & Recreation
$1,751
$602
Housing
$2,628
$2,478
Sewerage
$177
$120
Utilities
$3,488
$2,674
Other
$4,935
$2,778
B
Bentonville, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 73/100
Good fiscal health
C
Conway, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 57/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.