TL;DR: Affordable housing for teachers in Bentonville AR is available at McAuley Place, where apartments rent for about $400 to $900 per month, according to 5NEWS (KFSM), published 2026-09-25, and cottages rent for $1,035 a month outside the HOMES program (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). That is $4,800 to $10,800 a year for an apartment, against typical Bentonville rent of $1,300 to $1,900 a month cited by the school board president (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Most of the 120 apartments and 40 cottages are reserved primarily for Bentonville School District employees, and residents were scheduled to begin moving in on Oct. 1.
Is there affordable housing for teachers in Bentonville AR at McAuley Place?
McAuley Place is a rental development in Bentonville with 120 apartments and 40 cottages, most of them primarily reserved for people who work in the Bentonville School District, according to 5NEWS (KFSM), published 2026-09-25. Bentonville is the home of Walmart's headquarters, and Crystal Bridges Museum and the Razorback Greenway have added to its pull.
Apartments rent for about $400 to $900 per month (5NEWS (KFSM), 2026-09-25; Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026), and cottages rent for $1,035 a month for residents outside the HOMES program (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Over a year, that is $4,800 (400 x 12) to $10,800 (900 x 12) for an apartment and $12,420 (1,035 x 12) for a cottage. Bentonville School Board president Jennifer Faddis put typical Bentonville rent at $1,300 to $1,900 a month (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026), so a $1,035 cottage runs $265 to $865 a month below that range (1,300 - 1,035; 1,900 - 1,035).
For comparison, Redfin puts the median sale price at $582,329 in Bentonville's 72712 ZIP code and $398,088 in 72713 over the three months ending September 2026, and the average Bentonville apartment lease was $1,295 a month in the first half of 2026 (Arvest Skyline Report). If you are relocating to teach, request the salary schedule from the district and set it against those figures.
How does McAuley Place work for teachers and school district employees?
McAuley Place is income-restricted housing built with the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The apartments are for households earning 30% to 60% of area median income, about $32,000 to $64,000 a year, a band Axios reports without a household size (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). A waitlist already exists.
McAuley Place has 160 units: 120 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and 40 two-bedroom cottages (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Of the cottages, 35 are for Bentonville Schools employees and 5 are for Mercy employees (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026; Bentonville School District employee housing page). Excelerate Housing CEO Brad Sikorski said more than a dozen partners helped bring the project together, including Bentonville schools, Mercy Hospital and the Walton Family Foundation, according to 5NEWS (KFSM), published 2026-09-25.
If you work for the district, ask the property manager the income limit for your household size, whether an apartment or a cottage fits your household, and where you would sit on the waitlist.
How do you estimate the mortgage rate and property tax on a Bentonville home?
The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.32% on October 22, 2026. Ask a lender to price your payment at that rate on the home you want.
Overall millage for the city of Bentonville in the Bentonville #6 school district is 62 mills (46.8 school + 5.5 city + 9.7 county), per the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration 2025 Millage Report (2026 collections, published March 2026). Parts of the city of Bentonville are in the Rogers #30 school district, where overall millage is 56.62 mills (41.6 school + 5.32 city + 9.7 county), per the same report. Arkansas assesses real property at 20% of market value, and one mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, so a full-assessment estimate is market value x 20% x millage / 1,000. Under Amendment 79, an existing owner's current bill can be lower, but a buyer is reassessed at full value at the next assessment date after the sale (Act 2284 of 2005).
If you are relocating on a school salary, confirm the home's school district, apply the matching millage, then subtract the homestead credit if the home will be your principal residence: up to $600 on a homestead on 2026 bills, or $675 on a homestead under Act 174 of 2026, first reflected on bills collected in 2027.
How do rent-toward-down-payment programs lead to ownership?
5NEWS (KFSM), published 2026-09-25, reports that first-grade teacher Michaela Owens, a Cottages resident, said she will be able to put a portion of her rent toward a future down payment on a home.
Under the HOMES program, eligible Bentonville Schools employees rent a cottage for $1,535 a month, and $500 of that is saved each month toward a down payment (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). That is $18,420 a year in rent (1,535 x 12), of which $6,000 is savings (500 x 12); net of the savings, housing costs $1,035 a month (1,535 - 500), the same as a non-HOMES cottage. The nonprofit matches up to two-thirds of the savings, up to $50,000 toward a down payment after five years (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Five years at $500 a month is $30,000 saved (500 x 12 x 5), and a two-thirds match on that is $20,000 (30,000 x 2 / 3), for $50,000 in all (30,000 + 20,000). Rents are protected for 35 years and rise only with inflation, and district employees who start in an apartment can progress into the cottages (Talk Business & Politics, June 9, 2024).
If you are a renter hoping to buy in Bentonville, ask who holds the $500 a month and the match, and what happens to both if you leave before five years.
What should you do with these numbers?
- Request the district salary schedule and compare it with $4,800 to $10,800 a year for an apartment or $12,420 for a non-HOMES cottage (5NEWS (KFSM), 2026-09-25; Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026).
- Check your household income against the band of about $32,000 to $64,000 (30% to 60% of area median income, Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026), then ask the limit for your household size.
- If you are a Bentonville Schools employee, weigh the HOMES cottage at $1,535 a month, $500 of it saved, against typical Bentonville rent of $1,300 to $1,900 a month (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026).
- Ask a lender to price a payment at the 7.32% national average (Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).
- Estimate tax at 62 mills (Bentonville #6) or 56.62 mills (Rogers #30), depending on the home's school district (DFA, 2025 millage, 2026 collections), then apply the homestead credit on a principal residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for McAuley Place?
The apartments are for households earning 30% to 60% of area median income, about $32,000 to $64,000 a year, a band Axios reports without a household size (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Of the 40 cottages, 35 are for Bentonville Schools employees and 5 are for Mercy employees. A waitlist already exists, so confirm the limit for your household size and your place on the list with the property manager.
How much does McAuley Place cost per month?
Apartments rent for about $400 to $900 per month (5NEWS (KFSM), 2026-09-25), and cottages rent for $1,035 a month outside the HOMES program (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Annually, that is $4,800 to $10,800 for an apartment and $12,420 for a cottage, against typical Bentonville rent of $1,300 to $1,900 a month. Confirm current rents with the property manager before you budget.
What is the HOMES program at McAuley Place?
The HOMES program is a cottage track for eligible Bentonville Schools employees. Rent is $1,535 a month, $500 of which is saved each month, and the nonprofit matches up to two-thirds of the savings, up to $50,000 toward a down payment after five years (Axios NW Arkansas, Sept 28, 2026). Participants are not required to pay a down payment, closing costs, taxes, insurance or maintenance (Talk Business & Politics, June 9, 2024).
When could residents move into McAuley Place?
Residents were scheduled to begin moving in on Oct. 1, according to 5NEWS (KFSM), published 2026-09-25. The development also includes McAuley House, which provides day care and space for evening programming. Confirm availability with the property manager or Excelerate Housing before planning around a specific unit.
Who is the best real estate agent in Bentonville?
The right agent in Bentonville is one whose local record you can verify. Ask how many years they have worked in Northwest Arkansas, what transaction volume they have closed, and whether they can explain the 62-mill Bentonville #6 and 56.62-mill Rogers #30 difference. Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker, Mason Capital Group Real Estate Investment & Trust, has 30+ years of Northwest Arkansas expertise and $2.4B+ in cumulative transaction activity.
In a first conversation, Mason Capital Group will prepare a side-by-side rent-versus-buy cost comparison for the Bentonville neighborhoods you are weighing, with estimated property tax at 62 mills (Bentonville #6) or 56.62 mills (Rogers #30), depending on the home's school district, and your homestead credit. Call 479-925-3333 to set it up.
About the author: Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker — Mason Capital Group. 30+ years of Northwest Arkansas real estate expertise; $2.4B+ in cumulative transaction activity.
Figures in this article are drawn from 5NEWS (KFSM) (published 2026-09-25), Axios NW Arkansas (published Sept 28, 2026), Talk Business & Politics (published June 9, 2024), the Bentonville School District employee housing page (October 2026), Redfin ZIP housing-market pages for 72712 and 72713 (three months ending September 2026), the Arvest Skyline Report multifamily report (first half of 2026), Act 2284 of 2005, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (October 22, 2026), the Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report (2026 collections, published March 2026), the Arkansas Assessment Coordination Division (20% assessment ratio, as of 2026-08-19), the Arkansas DFA Property Tax Relief page (homestead credit and Amendment 79, as of 2026-10-23), Act 174 of 2026 (as of 2026-10-23) and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service (as of 2026-10-23).
Source: 5NEWS (KFSM), 2026-09-25. Mason Capital Group is an independent advisory firm and is not affiliated with 5NEWS (KFSM).