Bentonville, AR vs Jonesboro, AR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bentonville, AR spends 60% more per resident than Jonesboro, AR: $14,446 against $9,056. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Bentonville, AR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 73/100 (grade B) against 39/100 (grade D) for Jonesboro, AR — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bentonville, AR carries the lighter load at $246 per resident versus $2,919 for Jonesboro, AR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Bentonville, AR at $1,751 per resident and in Jonesboro, AR at $523.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bentonville, AR at 20% of total revenue, whereas Jonesboro, AR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 145%.
Summary
Bentonville spends 59.5% more per capita than Jonesboro ($5,389/person difference). Bentonville, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 73/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $752 | $97 |
| Income Tax | $1,252 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,248 | $4,523 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,597 | $1,640 |
| Other | $3,321 | $1,377 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $226 | $80 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $121 |
| Education | $0 | $42 |
| Public Welfare | $890 | $632 |
| Health | $352 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $108 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,751 | $523 |
| Housing | $2,628 | $2,058 |
| Sewerage | $177 | $122 |
| Utilities | $3,488 | $1,520 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $191 |
| Other | $4,935 | $3,659 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.