Bentonville, AR vs Little Rock, AR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Little Rock, AR spends 22% more per resident than Bentonville, AR: $17,625 against $14,446. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Little Rock, AR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 73/100 (grade B) for Bentonville, AR — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Little Rock, AR reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bentonville, AR carries $246 per resident. 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 Little Rock, AR at $2,054.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bentonville, AR at 20% of total revenue, whereas Little Rock, AR relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 25%.
Summary
Little Rock spends 18.0% more per capita than Bentonville ($3,179/person difference). Little Rock, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $752 | $1,239 |
| Income Tax | $1,252 | $1,234 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,248 | $5,965 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,597 | $0 |
| Other | $3,321 | $5,700 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $226 | $521 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $55 |
| Education | $0 | $39 |
| Public Welfare | $890 | $986 |
| Health | $352 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $427 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,751 | $2,054 |
| Housing | $2,628 | $3,902 |
| Sewerage | $177 | $82 |
| Utilities | $3,488 | $1,001 |
| Other | $4,935 | $8,558 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.