Benton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Benton
Cabot
Opportunity
81 · Top 6%
vs80 · Top 7%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs88 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Benton | Cabot | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,595 | 26,960 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,876 | $75,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,819 | $34,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,583/sq mi | 1,299/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $212,700 | $207,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,072 | $1,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 68.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.2% | 2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 355 | 128 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 4.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 65.1% | 36.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.4" | 51.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 30.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.38 | 16.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.0% | 49.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Benton
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, hail.
Cabot
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Benton, AR · Cabot, AR · How this is calculated: methodology