Benton County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Benton County, Arkansas has a population of 303,632 across 847 square miles, up 13.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $26.13 bn in 2024, 7,788 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 300 7(a) approvals worth $172.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Benton County
How many people live in Benton County
- Population303,632
- Households111,919
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$93,506
- Median age35.9
- Median gross rent$1,277 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$323,500
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over201,229
- Population under 1877,250
- Share under 1825.4 percent
- Population 65 and over41,759
- Share 65 and over13.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64184,623
- Civilian labor force156,921
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.3 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties2nd of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents238th
Benton County is the 2nd largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.4 percent against 13.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Benton County
Is Benton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base13.09 percent
- Census 2020 base population284,334
- Births, 20244,001
- Deaths, 20242,233
- Natural change, 20241,768
- Net domestic migration, 20245,720
- Net international migration, 20241,814
- Total net migration, 20247,534
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202423,387
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents86th
The county has grown 13.09 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benton County
Where people moving to Benton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving10,662
- People arriving, from those returns20,161
- Adjusted gross income arriving$862.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$80,934
- Largest single originBenton County Non-migrants (102,672 households)
- Largest single destination (102,672 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County Non-migrants | 102,672 | 228,422 | $18.62 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,469 | 6,791 | $304.4 m |
| Washington County | 2,526 | 4,636 | $161.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,514 | 2,911 | $137.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 960 | 1,813 | $83.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 700 | 1,488 | $54.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 295 | 579 | $29.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 262 | 484 | $15.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Benton County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Benton County
What the Benton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$26.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$23.52 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.1 percent
- GDP change over five years52.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents217th
- GDP per resident$86,045
Output grew 11.1 percent in the latest year and 52.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Benton County
Who employs people in Benton County
- Covered employment, annual average144,544
- Establishments reporting8,444
- Average annual pay$81,978
- Average weekly wage$1,576
- Sector 44-45, employment14,148
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,819
- Sector 62, employment13,921
- Sector 62, average annual pay$58,292
- Sector 72, employment13,868
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,038
- Sector 31-33, employment13,174
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,029
- Sector 48-49, employment11,240
- Sector 54, employment9,692
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 14,148 | 796 | $37,819 |
| Sector 62 | 13,921 | 863 | $58,292 |
| Sector 72 | 13,868 | 662 | $25,038 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,174 | 218 | $58,029 |
| Sector 48-49 | 11,240 | 221 | $70,014 |
| Sector 54 | 9,692 | 1,234 | $88,014 |
| Sector 23 | 8,432 | 917 | $65,347 |
| Sector 42 | 7,176 | 782 | $118,791 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,148 jobs, 9.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Benton County
What businesses operate in Benton County
- Establishments, all industries7,788
- Employment at those establishments140,001
- Annual payroll$11.03 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Benton County
What is being built in Benton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,453
- Declared construction value permitted$1.18 bn
- Single family units authorised3,651
- Multifamily units authorised802
- Multifamily share of units18.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$265,948
- Units authorised per 1,000 households39.8
Multifamily is 18.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benton County
How much SBA lending happens in Benton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded300
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$172.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$575,856
- Median 7(a) approval$260,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,578,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,332
- Jobs per approval14.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active66
- Distinct industries receiving approvals139
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms33
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter227
- Franchise loans77
- Franchise share of approvals25.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (26)
- Most active lenderArvest Bank (78)
- 504 approvals recorded50
- 504 gross approval dollars$51.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,020,640
- Median 504 approval$636,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval15.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.4
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (28)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$223.8 m
The average approval of $575,856 sits well above the median of $260,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 11.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
Do SBA loans in Benton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded75
- Paid in full71
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full71
- Status: Exempt from disclosure177
- Status: Cancelled30
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed18
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
Which parts of Benton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending19
- Rogers, approvals104
- Bentonville, approvals89
- SILOAM SPRINGS, approvals22
- Lowell, approvals17
- Bella Vista, approvals16
- CENTERTON, approvals11
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers | 104 | $59,602,600 |
| Bentonville | 89 | $54,945,500 |
| SILOAM SPRINGS | 22 | $19,425,000 |
| Lowell | 17 | $8,822,800 |
| Bella Vista | 16 | $6,168,100 |
| CENTERTON | 11 | $3,913,300 |
| GENTRY | 11 | $8,613,300 |
| Pea Ridge | 6 | $1,516,700 |
Rogers accounts for 104 approvals against 89 in Bentonville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benton County
How big is Benton County
- Land area847 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties12th of 75
- Width, east to west44.7 mi
- Height, north to south27.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land358
- Establishments per square mile9.19
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Benton County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Benton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population303,632
- Households111,919
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$93,506
- Median age35.9
Common questions
Benton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benton County, Arkansas?
303,632, in 111,919 households, ranking 2nd of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benton County growing?
The population has grown 13.09 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,001 births against 2,233 deaths, with net migration of 7,534. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benton County?
$93,506. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $323,500, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,277 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Benton County?
7,788 establishments, employing 140,001 people with an annual payroll of $11.03 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Benton County?
Average annual pay is $81,978, or $1,576 a week, across 144,544 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Benton County?
300 7(a) approvals totalling $172.8 m since FY2020, across 66 lenders, with a median approval of $260,000, plus 50 504 approvals worth $51.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Benton County get paid back?
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 71 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Benton County?
4,453 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.18 bn. Multifamily was 18.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Benton County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Benton County come from?
The largest single origin is Benton County Non-migrants, with 102,672 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,934 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Benton County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Benton County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.