Ted Vuong
Principal Manager
Walter P Moore
From Little Rock to Bentonville, Arkansas’ largest population centers are experiencing significant growth, creating demand for both building projects and infrastructure to support existing residents and businesses as they plan for the future.
Demand for construction projects to support population growth has been particularly high in Northwest Arkansas. Between 2010 and 2024, the area’s largest metropolitan areas experienced significant population growth, including Fayetteville (39%), Bentonville (73%), Rogers (34%), and Springdale (25%). With this growth, the neighboring suburbs are also feeling the increase. In Farmington, just outside Fayetteville, the number of building permits issued by the city will more than double between 2024 and 2025.
By 2024, the Northwest Arkansas Council estimated that the Northwest region was adding 36 people per day. The council estimates that by 2050 the population of the region could almost double, reaching more than 1 million people.
“From a market perspective, the residential market is booming,” says Ted Vuong, managing director of Walter P Moore. “They can’t build houses fast enough here.”
In larger cities, apartments are the main residential focus, which Vuong says underscores the need for more walkable and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. With residential demand, other needs arise, driving new commercial, institutional and infrastructure projects. Along with this, Vuong sees new retail stores and restaurants popping up. Meanwhile, the demand for services and healthcare is also increasing.
Vuong says several cities have issued RFPs for significant master planning to get ahead of growth. “The infrastructure is being looked at and heavily scrutinized because of the amount of people coming [to the area]”, he adds.
The region’s largest employers remain among its main sources of growth, including Walmart in Bentonville, JB Hunt in Rogers and Tyson in Springdale. One of Walter P Moore’s biggest projects in recent years has been Walmart’s new multi-million dollar 350-acre campus in Bentonville. The project includes 2.4 million square meters of new space for offices, services, parking decks and amenities such as childcare and fine dining. Its 12 office buildings were designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The campus runs on 100% renewable electricity. It has more than 115 hectares of native and adapted plantations, including 5,000 trees. Nearly seven miles of walkways and pedestrian paths meander through the campus.
“Community flows through the campus, both inside and outside, as a destination or origin,” says Vuong.
Vuong notes that industrial demands from the area’s largest companies remain a significant source of work, even for distribution centers.
In Little Rock, total construction starts recently saw a significant increase, driven in large part by a strong manufacturing sector.
Total construction remained relatively flat between 2022 and 2024, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. However, last year, starts in the area rose 43% from $2.17 billion to $3.12 billion. Dodge predicts total starts could rise another 6% this year to $3.3 billion.
“The infrastructure is being scrutinized and heavily scrutinized because of the amount of people coming [to the area].”
—Ted Vuong, Managing Director, Walter P Moore
The biggest contributor to the recent startup boom comes from the area’s manufacturing projects. Last year, startups rose from $112 million to $859 million, a nearly eightfold increase.
In 2024, Gray Construction broke ground on a $400 million composite decking and guardrail installation in Little Rock for Trex. Last year, Welspun Tubular announced a $150 million expansion of its existing Little Rock facility, creating a new longitudinal submerged arc-welded line pipe mill and coating facility. The new facility aims to improve the company’s capabilities to serve the oil and gas sector. Other recent projects include a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Little Rock for Elopak, built by ARCO National Construction, and a $15 million facility for architectural metal panel manufacturer Morin.
Other major sectors, including institutional, residential, transport and public works, are on track for a strong 2026. Institutional work increased from 2022 to 2024 and leveled off last year, but those sectors, particularly healthcare, are expected to see starts rise 18% in 2026 to $623 million, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Home starts rose 19% last year, with another 10% growth expected this year. Also, Dodge predicts that non-built starts could increase by 14% this year.
