City Profile

Bella Vista, Arkansas

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Bella Vista is a scenic residential community located in Benton County within the picturesque Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. Originally established in 1917 as a summer resort destination, it evolved into a sprawling retirement and leisure community before officially incorporating as a city in 2007. Characterized by its rolling oak-hickory forests, steep valleys, and clear water lakes, the city offers residents a tranquil yet active lifestyle.

Today, Bella Vista has experienced rapid transformation and influxes of diverse new residents, transitioning from a predominantly retirement-focused enclave into a vibrant, multi-generational community. Much of its appeal stems from its extensive amenities managed by the Bella Vista Property Owners Association (POA), which oversees numerous golf courses, swimming pools, community centers, and miles of purpose-built mountain biking trails. People move here to enjoy an immersive natural environment coupled with the economic vitality of the broader Northwest Arkansas metropolitan region.

About Arkansas

Arkansas, known as "The Natural State," offers diverse geography from the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains to the Mississippi River Delta, fostering a relaxed, nature-oriented lifestyle. The economy, historically rooted in agriculture with rice and poultry as leading products, has diversified to include significant contributions from manufacturing (food products, chemicals, wood and paper products, aerospace parts) and a growing service sector, largely influenced by Walmart's presence. Living in Arkansas is generally affordable, with a cost of living consistently below the national average, particularly for housing. The state experiences a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot, humid summers, and while property taxes are low, sales taxes can be high.

34,518

Population

$72K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

73.9

Quality Score

How this 74/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 85 / 100	85.0	30%	25.5
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 96.0	48.8	25%	12.2
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $88,055 Income needed to live here: $58,000 Unemployment rate: 3.5%	85.5	20%	17.1
Growth	Population growth rate: 2.2% Job growth rate: 3.1%	81.0	15%	12.2
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 70 / 100	70.0	10%	7.0
Overall score				73.9

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Gemini (ungrounded) (q=55, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 11 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

Featured Events

Happening in Bella Vista

Featured and sponsored events in Bella Vista.

All events

Hosting an event in Bella Vista? Featured events appear right here for everyone exploring Bella Vista. Post yours free, or get it featured.

Post an event Feature my event

Local Directory

Businesses in Bella Vista

Featured local businesses in Bella Vista.

List your business

Put your business in front of people moving to Bella Vista Featured businesses appear here for everyone researching Bella Vista. Add a featured spot to your banner package, or start with a free listing.

Feature my business List free

Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Bella Vista is relatively moderate, tracking slightly below the national average while offering excellent value considering the quality of local infrastructure and amenities. Housing costs, though appreciating rapidly due to regional growth, remain competitive compared to major coastal metros and even neighboring high-demand hubs like Bentonville. Everyday expenses such as groceries, utilities, and transportation are generally aligned with or modestly lower than national benchmarks.

Downward pressure on living costs comes from Arkansas's moderate tax environment and reasonable utility rates, while upward pressures are primarily driven by the surging demand for housing across Northwest Arkansas. Property taxes and POA dues are standard considerations for homeowners here, but these fees directly fund top-tier community recreational assets. Overall, residents find that their purchasing power stretches further here than in typical high-growth tech or financial hubs.

Average Rent

$1,900/mo

Groceries

$400/mo

Transport

$120/mo

Utilities

$180/mo

Healthcare

$240/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$14.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$22.00

Monthly groceries

$400.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$150.00

Income

Salary Insights

While Bella Vista itself functions primarily as a residential haven, its economy is closely intertwined with the booming Northwest Arkansas regional economic engine, anchored by corporate giants like Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt. Local employment within Bella Vista is heavily skewed toward retail, healthcare, hospitality, construction services, and professional property management. A substantial portion of the resident workforce commutes short distances to nearby Bentonville or Rogers, or participates in the region's robust remote work ecosystem.

The regional job market exhibits strong resilience and consistent growth, fueled by corporate vendor ecosystems and an expanding tourism and outdoor recreation sector. Entrepreneurial activity is also on the rise, supported by a growing network of local small businesses, specialized contractors, and outdoor industry startups. The proximity to world-class corporate headquarters provides ample high-paying career opportunities accessible via a short drive.

The average salary in Bella Vista is $72,000 per year. You would need approximately $58,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Accommodation and Food Services +3.80% Healthcare and Social Assistance +3.20% Construction and Real Estate +4.10% Professional and Technical Services +3.00% Retail and Corporate Supplier Trade +2.50%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

Avg Temp

☀️

Summer High

❄️

Winter Low

🌧️

Annual Rain

💧

65.00%

Humidity

🌤️

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Bella Vista relies heavily on personal vehicles, as the city's sprawling, master-planned topography spans over 45 square miles of hilly terrain. The completion of the Bella Vista Bypass (I-49 extension) has dramatically improved regional connectivity, cutting commute times to Bentonville and other Northwest Arkansas employment hubs. Public mass transit options within the city limits are limited, meaning walkability and bikeability vary significantly by neighborhood.

While central commercial areas and trailheads are pedestrian-friendly, the vast majority of residents drive for daily errands, shopping, and work commutes. Average commute times remain reasonable at approximately 28 minutes, benefiting from fluid traffic flow outside of peak regional bottlenecks. Car ownership is nearly universal, reflecting the suburban-wooded nature of the community.

28 min

Avg Commute

35.00/10

Transit Score

40.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Median household income of $88,055 significantly outperforms the state average and matches strong regional economic indicators per U.S. Census data.

Extensive world-class mountain biking networks, including the Back 40 trails, situated directly within municipal boundaries.

Crime rates are substantially lower than the national average, ensuring a very high level of community safety.

Proximity to the booming Northwest Arkansas economic corridor provides high-paying career and corporate opportunities within a short drive.

Abundant natural amenities, including seven lakes and numerous POA-managed golf courses and recreational facilities.

Drawbacks

High car dependency due to the sprawling, hilly geographic layout of the 45-square-mile municipality.

Limited public transportation infrastructure within city limits requiring personal vehicle reliance for daily tasks.

Rapid housing appreciation and regional demand have constrained affordable rental and starter home inventories.

Higher median age relative to surrounding tech hubs can result in fewer late-night entertainment and urban nightlife options locally.

Mandatory Property Owners Association (POA) dues apply to many properties, adding recurring annual costs for homeowners.

Head to Head

Compare Bella Vista

Bella Vista VS Cincinnati Bella Vista VS Dallas Bella Vista VS Elyria Bella Vista VS Tigard

Explore

Nearby Cities

Bentonville

Rogers

Springdale

Fayetteville

Community Q&A

Questions about Bella Vista

What people ask about living in and moving to Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Ask a question

Gathering the most common questions about Bella Vista…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.

BizStateFiling.com Starting a business in Bella Vista? Form your LLC or corporation in Arkansas online — BizStateFiling handles the state paperwork for you. Arkansas state filing fee: $45. Start my Arkansas business

FindCarez.com Live Listings