Retirement Lists

Cost of Living in Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville, AR Central Avenue at night
Photo by Alfredo Carrillo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Bentonville cost of living

Bentonville's housing anchors need room for the car, services, and the address

The current Bentonville local estimate is $3,042 per month, with $4,290 used for comfortable living and traveler planning and $4,446 for a couple. The product one bedroom gross rent anchor is $1,082. Census QuickFacts separately lists $1,344 median gross rent for 2020 to 2024, a different measure and vintage, so neither should be treated as a current lease quote.

Food is $460, transportation is $1,064, healthcare is $436, and dining is $238 in the current planning inputs. The $232 utilities reference is already included in the rent treatment and should not be added again. A Required car, regional trips, parking, insurance, flood review, and a changing Northwest Arkansas housing market can use more of the monthly plan than the headline rent suggests.

Planning a monthly budget

A local monthly estimate of $3,042 gives you the starting point, with housing taking the largest share.

Housing
$1,082
Utilities (in rent)
$232
Food
$460/mo
Transportation
$1,064/mo
Healthcare
$436

Utilities are included in housing so they are not added twice. The separate Utilities row is a reference estimate.

How the total can change

A traveler style stay, a couple household, and long term rent answer different planning questions.

Comfortable Living
$4,290

Good

Cost of Living for Couple
$4,446

Very Good

Typical 1BR Rent
$1,082

Very Good

Everyday expenses

Dining, transportation, taxes, and car needs can change how the monthly budget feels.

Dining Out
$238/mo

Excellent

Need for a Car
Required
Property Taxes
Low

Good

Overall Feel
Moderate
Residents 65+ Below Poverty Level
6.7%
65+ Householder — Renter Occupied
32.5%
65+ Households With High Housing Costs
31.9%
Median Household Income, Householder 65+
$67,946

Could Bentonville fit your monthly retirement budget?

Compare your monthly budget with a city estimate. Add your expected housing amount when you have a more useful number.

Housing

Enter your expected rent and required housing charges, or leave this blank to use the current renter amount.

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Starting renter estimates

Use these broad monthly estimates as a starting point, then replace them with costs you know.

One person
$3,042 per month
Two people
$4,446 per month

One-person estimate breakdown

Housing
$1,082
Food
$460
Transportation
$1,064
Healthcare
$436

Taxes, debt, insurance, out-of-pocket care, travel, and one-time moving costs may not be included.

Bentonville in everyday life

Could Bentonville work for you?

What may work well

  • The $1,082 product one bedroom anchor and $3,042 local estimate give a renter a clear starting point.
  • The Low property tax label and $4,290 comfortable living or traveler value add useful comparison inputs after address costs are checked.
  • Arts, parks, broadband, transit, and regional care make room for a budget that includes more than housing.

What to think about

  • The separate $1,344 Census rent measure shows why a single housing number should not carry the whole decision.
  • A Required car can use housing savings through fuel, insurance, maintenance, parking, and regional trips.
  • Utilities, flood insurance, drainage, repairs, and planning area boundaries can make the actual monthly plan differ from the headline estimate.

Make the Bentonville budget include the home, car, services, and flood review

  1. Price both rent measures

    Compare the $1,082 product anchor and $1,344 Census QuickFacts measure with a current property quote, parking, deposits, accessibility, insurance, and included utilities.

  2. Keep utilities reconciled

    Do not add the $232 reference when gross rent already includes tenant paid utilities, then ask what the lease or ownership arrangement includes.

  3. Add the car and parcel

    Price fuel, insurance, maintenance, parking, regional care trips, flood coverage, drainage, wetlands, repairs, and the actual address.

  4. Use the decision actions

    Save the complete Bentonville budget, Compare another property, and choose Find my fit after rent, care, car, tax, utility, flood, and visitor questions are visible.

Questions retirees ask

What is the current Bentonville monthly estimate?

The local estimate is $3,042 per month. The published $4,290 value is used for comfortable living and traveler planning, and the couple estimate is $4,446. Treat these as planning figures, not household quotes.

Why does Census QuickFacts show $1,344 rent?

The $1,344 figure is a 2020 to 2024 median gross rent measure, while $1,082 is the product one bedroom anchor. They use different definitions and vintages, so compare both with a current property quote.

Are Bentonville utilities added to the budget?

The $232 utilities reference is included in the gross rent treatment and should not be added again. Ask what the lease includes, then price owner or renter utility responsibility separately.

Are Bentonville property taxes low for every owner?

The published label is Low, but the individual property, assessment, local treatment, insurance, flood exposure, and repairs determine the actual cost. Review the parcel rather than assuming one city amount.

Can a lower budget work without a car?

The city facts mark car need as Required. Free fixed routes and $1.25 on demand service may support selected trips, but map care, groceries, parks, visitors, parking, weather, and backup transportation from the actual home.

Bentonville's housing anchors can support a household plan when the Required car, utilities, insurance, flood, regional care, and two different rent measures are handled honestly. Save the Bentonville budget, Compare another property, and choose Find my fit after rent, car, flood, and care obligations are clear.

Sources

The budget value gives a starting point for everyday spending. Housing, healthcare, safety, and climate can change what feels comfortable for a household.

Housing mix, exchange rates, healthcare needs, car ownership, and travel style can move a real monthly budget materially.

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How this city research is made

Retirement Lists uses documented public sources and methods to research, review, and correct city information. Read our Editorial Policy.