TL;DR: For a Bentonville townhome vs. Centerton house cost comparison, the firmest benchmark is Centerton's single-family median sale price of $379,849 (Redfin, three months ending September 2026). Redfin's Bentonville townhouse median of $344,704 is flagged as limited data that should not be used for market analysis or forecasting, so price a townhome from sold comparables. Overall millage is 62 in Bentonville and 61.9 in Centerton (2025 millage, 2026 collections): $12.40 versus $12.38 a year per $1,000 of price. HOA dues add to a townhome's monthly cost.
What does a Bentonville townhome cost vs. a Centerton house?
Redfin reports a Bentonville city median sale price of $489,717 and a Centerton city median of $385,292 for the three months ending September 2026, a difference of $104,425 ($489,717 - $385,292). Those medians cover all home types, so treat them as city context, not the comparison in the title. By home type, Redfin reports a Centerton single-family median of $379,849 (+0.6% year over year) and a Bentonville single-family median of $499,801 (-3.0%) for the same three months. Redfin also shows a Bentonville townhouse median of $344,704, with this warning: 'Data for this home type is limited in this area, and should not be used for market analysis or forecasting.' Do not read that figure as a townhome price or a verdict. Ask for sold attached-home comparables in the specific community and set them against the $379,849 Centerton single-family median.
The Skyline Report (1H 2026, houses sold) shows the same direction. Bentonville had a median of $440,000 and an average of $549,317 across 501 houses; Centerton had a median of $399,000 and an average of $438,434 across 417 houses. The median gap is $41,000 ($440,000 - $399,000) and the average gap is $110,883 ($549,317 - $438,434).
Negotiating room is similar. Bentonville homes sold at 97.9% of list price and Centerton homes at 98.8% (Redfin, three months ending September 2026). Benton County active listings reached 2,441 in September 2026, up from 1,832 a year earlier (Realtor.com via FRED), and in an August 21, 2026 Talk Business & Politics report on the Skyline Report, Arvest's Maria Lau said CBER has noted that Northwest Arkansas is a buyer's market.
If you are a first-time buyer, price caps matter. Both Skyline medians ($440,000 in Bentonville, $399,000 in Centerton, 1H 2026) sit under the $500,000 purchase-price cap of ADFA's StartSmart program, which has a 2026 Benton County income limit of $106,900 for one or two members (effective June 1, 2026). Those are houses-sold figures, so check the specific townhome's price against the cap before you plan around the program.
Which is cheaper in property tax, a Bentonville townhome or a Centerton house?
Property in the City of Bentonville and in the City of Centerton, both within Bentonville School District #6, carries overall millage of 62 and 61.9 (Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report, 2026 collections). The school portion is the same 46.8 mills in both. Centerton's city portion is 5.4 mills against Bentonville's 5.5. Some Bentonville addresses fall in the Rogers #30 school district instead, where overall millage is 56.62 (Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report, 2026 collections), so confirm the district for the exact address.
A buyer budgets at full assessed value: price x 20% x overall millage. Per $1,000 of price, that is $1,000 x 0.2 x 62/1000 = $12.40 a year in Bentonville and $1,000 x 0.2 x 61.9/1000 = $12.38 in Centerton. At Redfin's Centerton single-family median, the estimate is $379,849 x 0.2 x 61.9/1000 = $4,703 a year (three months ending September 2026). At Redfin's Bentonville townhouse median it is $344,704 x 0.2 x 62/1000 = $4,274, but that median carries Redfin's limited-data warning, so treat it as an illustration of the formula, not a budget. Rerun the same formula on the actual price of the townhome or house you are considering.
You cannot carry over a seller's capped bill. Under Act 2284 of 2005, a sold property is reassessed at 20% of appraised value on the next assessment date, and the buyer may claim no limitation until the second one. Assessment is as of January 1 (Arkansas DFA Assessment Coordination Division; AG Op. 2017-067), so closing in December versus January changes which year the reset lands. Bills are collected from the first business day in March through October 15, with a 10% penalty after. The homestead credit is up to $600 on bills collected in 2026, and $675 starting with the 2026 assessment year, first reflected on bills collected in 2027 (Act 174 of 2026). It applies to a principal residence only.
The millage gap between the two cities is only 0.1 mill (62 - 61.9), or $0.02 a year per $1,000 of price ($12.40 - $12.38). For you, that means the two contract prices, not the city line, decide which property carries the larger tax bill.
What do HOA dues and reserves change?
HOA dues are set association by association, so the number that matters is the one on the budget you request. Ask for the current budget, the most recent reserve study, and any pending special assessments before you compare monthly costs.
Reserves matter for financing too when the community is a condominium. If the townhome community is legally a condominium, Fannie Mae's full-review standard (Selling Guide B4-2.2-01, current as of October 30, 2026) expects replacement reserves of at least 10% of the budget unless a qualifying reserve study shows adequate funding and the budget covers its highest recommended allocation. A condominium association that falls short can complicate conventional financing, which affects both your rate options and your resale pool. Ask your lender whether the community is a condominium or a planned development before relying on that test.
Detached homes in Centerton may also sit in neighborhoods with dues, so ask for the same documents there. Any townhome dues add to monthly cost relative to a house with no HOA, so list them as their own line. Keep property tax on a separate line computed from each property's price and millage, and do not net one against the other.
If you are comparing monthly cost, request the HOA budget and reserve study for the townhome first. They tell you whether the dues are likely to rise.
How do square footage and time on market compare?
Skyline reports an average of $257.97 per square foot for Bentonville houses sold in the first half of 2026 and $205.75 per square foot for Centerton, a gap of $52.22 ($257.97 - $205.75). Bentonville buyers are paying $52.22 more per square foot on average. Those are houses sold, so a townhome's per-foot price needs its own comparables.
Centerton homes also took longer to sell. Skyline's average was 141 days in Centerton against 123 in Bentonville, an 18-day gap (141 - 123). Redfin's median days on market were 79 days in Centerton (up 51 days year over year) against 44 days in Bentonville (up 15 days), a 35-day gap (79 - 44). Centerton issued 194 residential permits in 1H 2026, down from 333 in 2H 2025, against 215 in Bentonville (Skyline). Ask how many new homes are under construction in the subdivision of any Centerton house you are considering.
If you plan to resell within a few years, the slower Centerton figures say to price a house conservatively and leave room in your timeline. Bentonville's faster pace helps a seller, but only if the townhome community's own sales match it.
What should you do with these numbers?
- Ask for sold attached-home comparables in the specific Bentonville community, then compare that price to the $379,849 Centerton single-family median (Redfin, three months ending September 2026).
- Request the HOA budget, reserve study and special-assessment history; if the community is legally a condominium, Fannie Mae's full-review standard expects reserves of at least 10% of the budget (Selling Guide B4-2.2-01, current as of October 30, 2026).
- Run the tax at full assessed value: price x 20% x 62 mills in Bentonville or 61.9 in Centerton. Confirm the school district for any address: some Bentonville parcels fall in Rogers #30 (56.62 mills), and some Centerton parcels fall in Decatur (53.98 mills) or Gravette (50.79 mills), per the Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report, 2026 collections.
- Check ADFA programs: StartSmart caps purchase price at $500,000 with 2026 Benton County income limits of $106,900 for 1-2 members (effective June 1, 2026), and Down Payment Assistance offers $1,000 to $15,000 (page fetched October 24, 2026).
- Use the sale-to-list ratios of 97.9% in Bentonville and 98.8% in Centerton (Redfin, three months ending September 2026) to set your first offer, and time your closing with the January 1 assessment date in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a townhome in Bentonville cheaper than a house in Centerton?
It depends on the specific townhome, because Redfin's Bentonville townhouse median of $344,704 is flagged as limited data that should not be used for market analysis or forecasting. The firmer benchmark is the Centerton single-family median of $379,849 (Redfin, three months ending September 2026). Compare sold attached-home prices in the community against it, then add HOA dues and the tax estimate.
Are property taxes lower in Centerton than Bentonville?
Slightly lower in rate: Centerton's overall millage is 61.9 against Bentonville's 62 (2025 millage, 2026 collections), or $12.38 versus $12.40 a year per $1,000 of price. At Redfin's Centerton single-family median of $379,849 (three months ending September 2026), the estimate is $4,703 a year. A buyer is reassessed at full value, not the seller's capped bill, so rerun price x 20% x millage on the actual price.
Who is the best real estate agent in Bentonville?
The best real estate agent in Bentonville is the one whose record you can verify: local transaction volume, recent sales in your price range and named expertise in the neighborhoods you are weighing. Ask for sold examples in both attached and detached homes. One broker who meets that test is Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker, Mason Capital Group Real Estate Investment & Trust.
Which suits a buyer who wants low maintenance?
A Bentonville townhome usually suits a buyer who wants low exterior upkeep, provided the HOA budget is sound. If the community is legally a condominium, Fannie Mae's full-review standard (B4-2.2-01) expects reserves of at least 10% of the budget. A Centerton house suits a buyer who wants a detached lot, at a single-family median of $379,849 against Bentonville's $499,801 (Redfin, three months ending September 2026), and who can accept 79 median days on market if reselling.
Mason Capital Group will prepare a side-by-side cost comparison of the Bentonville townhome and Centerton house you are considering, covering price, estimated tax at full assessed value and HOA dues, in a first conversation. Call 479-925-3333 or visit 609 SW 8th Street, 6th Floor, Bentonville, AR 72712.
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 Redfin city housing market pages, including property-type views (three months ending September 2026), the Arvest Skyline Report from the University of Arkansas Walton College CBER (1H 2026), Talk Business & Politics (August 21, 2026), the Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report (2026 collections, published March 2026), Realtor.com via FRED (September 2026), the Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-2.2-01 (current as of October 30, 2026), Act 2284 of 2005, Act 174 of 2026, the Arkansas DFA Assessment Coordination Division and AG Op. 2017-067 (January 1 assessment date; pages fetched October 29, 2026), the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service FSPPC114 publication (fetched October 29, 2026), the Arkansas Development Finance Authority StartSmart program (effective June 1, 2026) and the ADFA Down Payment Assistance program (page fetched October 24, 2026).