Benton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Conway
Benton
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs81 · Top 6%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs85 · Top 2%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs66 · Bottom 37%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 41%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Conway | Benton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,642 | 36,595 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,004 | $72,876 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,011 | $38,819 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,450/sq mi | 1,583/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $252,100 | $212,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,011 | $1,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.4% | 68.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.2% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.7% | 28.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 297 | 355 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -50.7% | 65.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.8" | 50.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.7 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.3 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.18 | 14.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.2% | 39.0% | 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
Conway
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Benton
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, hail.
Full profiles: Conway, AR · Benton, AR · How this is calculated: methodology