Benton County’s decision tension is that a visible gross income measure sits against a meaningful carrying-cost and liquidity review. At the Zillow county observation labeled 2026-06, the median home value was $315,762 and median asking rent was $1,195 per month, producing the supplied 4.54% gross yield before expenses. Income-focused buyers should investigate property-level operating costs and lease comparables; buyers dependent on rapid resale should be cautious because the yield is not net cash flow or evidence of exit liquidity.
HUD’s two-bedroom FMR was $1,206, but this is a payment standard, not a market-rent estimate and cannot replace the measured asking rent. The effective property-tax rate was 0.98%, with median annual tax of $2,651, so taxes belong in the carrying-cost test. Price direction is corroborative but not interchangeable: FHFA’s repeat-transaction HPI rose 3.20% in its 2025 annual series, while the Zillow home-value observation at 2026-06 showed 3.46% year over year. These distinct methods and vintages should not be averaged.
Realtor.com’s MLS listing market at 2026-06 had 90 active listings, a median 46 days on market, and 20.25% of listings price-reduced. That is visible supply, marketing time and seller-concession evidence—not closed-sale pricing or proof of buyer demand. Investor purchases represented 31 of 497 purchases, or 6.24%, indicating a minority but present non-owner buyer channel; its effect on individual submarkets is untested. Tax-return migration was negative, and inbound moving households had lower average income than outbound households, a combination that merits tenant-income and absorption review.
The principal physical risk is inland flood. Modeled expected annual climate loss equals 0.14% of building value; it is a modeled county-level ratio rather than a site loss estimate. QCEW’s 2025 annual county workplace data show falling covered employment alongside rising covered-worker wages; trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest disclosed private supersector, not the whole economy. Missing flood-zone and insurance data, unit condition, utilities, vacancy, repairs, debt terms, closed-sale comps, and neighborhood lease comps prevent a net-cash-flow, debt-coverage, purchase-basis, or site-risk conclusion. Obtain those items and confirm taxes, leases, and flood coverage for the specific asset.