Conway, AR vs Bentonville, AR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
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: Conway, AR leads with education at $3,719 per resident, while Bentonville, AR leads with parks and recreation at $1,751.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Conway, AR at 48% of total revenue, whereas Bentonville, AR relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Bentonville spends 5.4% more per capita than Conway ($774/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 | $2 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $191 | $752 |
| Income Tax | $1,701 | $1,252 |
| Intergovernmental | $11,711 | $2,248 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,104 | $2,597 |
| Other | $3,132 | $3,321 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $304 | $226 |
| Highways & Roads | $123 | $0 |
| Education | $3,719 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $678 | $890 |
| Health | $0 | $352 |
| Hospitals | $195 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $602 | $1,751 |
| Housing | $2,478 | $2,628 |
| Sewerage | $120 | $177 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $3,488 |
| Other | $2,778 | $4,935 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.