Property Tax in Benton County, Arkansas
Homeowners in Benton County, Arkansas pay a median of $1,731 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $285,100. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Benton County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Benton County homeowners pay more than $1,731 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $285,100, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.61%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
The key figures for Benton County
| Measure | Benton County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $1,731 |
| Median home value | $285,100 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.61% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $144 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $607 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,428 |
For context, the Arkansas medians are $1,003 of tax on $175,300 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Benton County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Arkansas: #1 of 75 counties
- Median home value rank in Arkansas: #1 of 75
- Population rank in Arkansas: #2 of 75 (294,541 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 75 (347 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Arkansas: #12 of 75 (847 sq mi, 1.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $144; per $1,000 of home value: $0.61
How Benton County compares
The median tax bill in Benton County is about 73% higher than the state median ($1,003 for Arkansas) and about 42% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #1 out of 75 Arkansas counties with published Census data — 0 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Benton County's derived rate of 0.61% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Benton County: the median bill works out to about $144 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $607 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 294,541 people — the #2 most populous county in Arkansas, spread over 847 square miles, a density of about 347 people per square mile. Its median home value, $285,100, ranks #1 among the state's 75 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 1355 record a higher median tax bill than Benton County — it sits in the top 43% nationally. The county holds roughly 9.7% of Arkansas's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $285,100 versus $175,300), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.61% adds up to about 6.07% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Monroe County, medians $405 — $1,326 less than Benton County per year.
Counties nearest Benton County in the Arkansas ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, AR | $1,562 | $199,600 | 0.78% |
| Washington County, AR | $1,465 | $266,000 | 0.55% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Benton County's derived rate of 0.61%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $2,428 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Benton County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Benton County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Benton County, Arkansas?
The median real estate tax paid in Benton County, Arkansas is $1,731 per year, on a median home value of $285,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Benton County, Arkansas?
Dividing Benton County's median tax bill ($1,731) by its median home value ($285,100) gives a derived effective rate of 0.61%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Benton County compare with the rest of Arkansas?
By median taxes paid, Benton County stands at #1 among the 75 Arkansas counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $1,731 median bill is about 73% higher than the state median ($1,003), and 0 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Benton County, Arkansas?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Benton County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $1,731 on a median home value of $285,100.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Benton County, Arkansas?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Benton County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.