What it's like to live in Benton
Benton is a small city in Arkansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Benton deals with crime rates above the national average, hot summers, above-average rainfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Benton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Benton
Based on Benton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,144
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,880 a year
- 39% of Benton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$42,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,270
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,072/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,072 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $212,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $212,700 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 35% above US
445 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1873/100k · Benton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 21% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (19 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Benton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,072/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers.
Other places near Benton
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