TL;DR: The Benton County vs Washington County Arkansas home price gap has widened from $3,196 in Washington County's favor in September 2020 to $61,037 in Benton County's favor in September 2026, as Benton County's median listing price rose 48.9% to $460,600 and Washington County's rose 27.9% to $399,563 (Realtor.com via FRED). Sold homes show a smaller gap: a $385,000 Benton median against $362,000 in Washington County, or $23,000, in the first half of 2026 (Arvest Skyline Report). The widest September gap was $67,050, in September 2025.
How Wide Is the Benton County vs Washington County Arkansas Home Price Gap Now?
The newest data are the Realtor.com median listing prices for September 2026 and the Arvest Skyline Report for the first half of 2026. This comparison uses the county figures from both; Skyline also reports by city, below. In September 2026 the median listing price was $460,600 in Benton County and $399,563 in Washington County, a gap of $61,037, or 15.3% of Washington County's figure ($61,037 / $399,563). Those are asking prices, not sale prices.
Sold homes sit closer together. The Skyline median sale price of houses sold in the first half of 2026 was $385,000 in Benton County and $362,000 in Washington County, a gap of $23,000, or 6.4% of $362,000. Skyline's average sale prices for the same half-year were $465,888 and $423,750, which is $42,138 apart.
The county line hides a larger split between cities. First-half 2026 average prices were $549,317 in Bentonville (Walmart's headquarters) and $551,767 in Rogers, against $432,635 in Fayetteville and $383,360 in Springdale, where Tyson Foods is based. Median sale prices were $456,500 in Rogers, $440,000 in Bentonville, $379,900 in Fayetteville and $365,000 in Lowell (Arvest Skyline Report, 1H 2026). Springdale averages $168,407 below Rogers ($551,767 - $383,360). Lowell, home to J.B. Hunt, averaged $408,440. If your job is in Bentonville or Lowell, compare cities before counties, because the county medians blend very different price levels.
How Much Has Each County Appreciated Since 2020?
Index both counties to September 2020 using the Realtor.com median listing price from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). It is the one series in this comparison that runs from 2020 to 2026. The FRED file's September readings run from September 2020 through September 2025 and on to September 2026; in September 2020 Benton County stood at $309,254 and Washington County at $312,450, so Washington County started $3,196 higher. September 2020 was the only September since 2016 in which Washington County led; in September 2019 Benton County was $21,387 higher ($301,523 against $280,136). By September 2025 the two were at $466,975 and $399,925.
By September 2026 Benton County was at $460,600, a gain of 48.9% ($460,600 / $309,254, minus 1). Washington County was at $399,563, a gain of 27.9% ($399,563 / $312,450, minus 1). In dollars, Benton County added $151,346 ($460,600 - $309,254) and Washington County added $87,113 ($399,563 - $312,450).
Two cautions apply. This is a listing series, and each year is a single September reading, so one month can move it. The Skyline sold-home medians cover the second half of 2025 and the first half of 2026, so they confirm today's level, while the 2020 index rests on listing prices.
If you own in Benton County, the six-year gain in asking prices has been the larger of the two. If you are weighing Washington County, you are buying into the county that has risen more slowly from the same 2020 starting point.
How Has the Dollar Gap Moved Year by Year?
The gap between the two counties' September median listing prices, Benton County minus Washington County, has not moved in a straight line:
- 2020: Washington County higher by $3,196
- 2021: Benton County higher by $22,161 ($365,250 - $343,089)
- 2022: Benton County higher by $41,125 ($425,625 - $384,500)
- 2023: Benton County higher by $9,925 ($429,925 - $420,000)
- 2024: Benton County higher by $47,363 ($454,088 - $406,725)
- 2025: Benton County higher by $67,050
- 2026: Benton County higher by $61,037
The 2023 narrowing came from Washington County reaching $420,000 that September, its highest September reading from 2020 to 2026, before it slid to $406,725 in 2024 and $399,925 in 2025. Benton County kept climbing to $466,975 in 2025.
From September 2025 to September 2026 the gap narrowed by $6,013 ($67,050 - $61,037). Almost all of that came from Benton County, which fell $6,375 ($466,975 - $460,600), while Washington County slipped only $362 ($399,925 - $399,563). For a seller in Benton County, that means the asking-price lead over Washington County has started to shrink, but it is still far larger than in 2020.
What Do Inventory and Time on Market Say About Where the Gap Goes Next?
Supply is rising in both counties. Realtor.com counted 2,441 active listings in Benton County in September 2026, up from 1,832 in September 2025, an increase of 609 or 33.2% (609 / 1,832). Washington County had 1,157, up from 896, an increase of 261 or 29.1% (261 / 896).
Median days on market of listings was 72 in Benton County, up from 59, and 61 in Washington County, the same as a year earlier. That measures how long listings sat. For homes that actually sold, Skyline's first-half 2026 average was 115 days in Benton County (98 in the second half of 2025) and 101 in Washington County (98).
Sold medians eased in both counties. Benton County went from $388,000 to $385,000, down $3,000, and Washington County from $364,925 to $362,000, down $2,925. Benton County's first-half 2026 average of $465,888 was $5,539 below its $471,427 average in the first half of 2025, while Washington County's $423,750 average was up 1.5% from a year earlier.
For buyers, Benton County's 115-day average and larger inventory give more room to negotiate. For sellers there, the sold-home average time on market rose from 98 days in the second half of 2025 to 115 in the first half of 2026, so pricing to the $385,000 sold median rather than the $460,600 listing median matters more than it did in the second half of 2025.
What Should You Do With These Numbers?
- Buyers: compare cities first, using the Skyline first-half 2026 averages (Rogers $551,767, Bentonville $549,317, Fayetteville $432,635, Springdale $383,360), then check the county medians.
- Buyers: budget the property tax as price x 20% x the overall millage (school, city and county) for the address. Under Act 2284 of 2005 a resale buyer cannot keep the seller's Amendment 79 limitation, and the sale is reassessed on the next January 1, so closing before or after that date changes which year your bill resets. Taxes are collected from the first business day in March through October 15, with a 10% penalty after.
- Sellers: anchor on the sold median ($385,000 in Benton County, $362,000 in Washington County, first half of 2026). The September 2026 listing medians sit $75,600 ($460,600 - $385,000) and $37,563 ($399,563 - $362,000) above them. These are different measures and periods, but they show how far asking prices can run ahead of closings.
- Investors: permit growth has shifted toward Washington County. Its residential permits rose 14.0% to 1,031 in the first half of 2026 (from 904), while Benton County's fell 18.0% to 1,648 (from 2,010), though Benton County still issued more (Arvest Skyline Report, 1H 2026).
- Everyone: re-check the September gap each autumn. The 2023 dip to $9,925 shows how one reading can mislead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benton County more expensive than Washington County?
Yes, Benton County is higher on every 2026 measure here: a $385,000 median sale price against $362,000 in Washington County (Arvest Skyline Report, first half of 2026), averages of $465,888 against $423,750 (same report), and median listing prices of $460,600 against $399,563 (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026). City matters more than county: Springdale averages $383,360 while Rogers averages $551,767.
Which county has appreciated faster since 2020?
Benton County has, by median listing price: up 48.9% from $309,254 in September 2020 to $460,600 in September 2026, against 27.9% in Washington County, from $312,450 to $399,563 (Realtor.com via FRED; the September 2025 readings were $466,975 and $399,925). These are county-level asking prices with one September reading per year, so treat them as direction rather than a precise sale-price return.
Is the gap between the two counties narrowing?
Slightly, since last year: the September median listing price gap fell from $67,050 in 2025 to $61,037 in 2026, a $6,013 drop (Realtor.com via FRED). It remains far above the $3,196 gap in Washington County's favor in September 2020, and the $9,925 gap of September 2023 shows how much a single year can swing. One year of movement is not yet a trend.
For a side-by-side comparison of asking and sold prices in the cities you are weighing, plus a pricing and net-proceeds estimate if you own in either county, call Mason Capital Group at 479-925-3333 and we will prepare it for your first conversation.
About the author: Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker — Mason Capital Group. 30+ years of Northwest Arkansas real estate expertise; $2.4B+ in cumulative transaction activity (estimated).
Figures in this article are drawn from Realtor.com Housing Inventory via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (median listing price, active listings and listing days on market, September 2019 through September 2026, viewed 2026-10-29); the University of Arkansas Walton College CBER Arvest Skyline Report (1H 2026 residential report, https://walton.uark.edu/initiatives/cber/skyline-report/1H2026Residentialreport.pdf; 1H 2026 highlights, https://walton.uark.edu/initiatives/cber/skyline-report/1H_2026ResidentialHhighlights.pdf; 1H 2025 residential report, https://walton.uark.edu/initiatives/cber/skyline-report/1H2025ResidentialReport.pdf); Act 2284 of 2005; the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service publication FSPPC114 (fetched 2026-10-29); and the Arkansas DFA Assessment Coordination Division (as of 2026-10-23).