Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Arkansas a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Arkansas.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Natural State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Arkansas, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 75 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Arkansas For 2025
- Saline County
- Faulkner County
- Grant County
- Benton County
- Lonoke County
- Cleveland County
- Perry County
- Boone County
- Pulaski County
- Cleburne County
Saline County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Arkansas. And you should avoid Lafayette County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Arkansas. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Arkansas and the cheapest places to live in Arkansas.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Arkansas For 2025
1. Saline County
Biggest Place: Benton
Population: 125,724
Median Income: $76,534 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $211,700 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (9th best)
More on Saline County:
2. Faulkner County
Biggest Place: Conway
Population: 126,001
Median Income: $65,071 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $211,300 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (6th best)
More on Faulkner County:
3. Grant County
Biggest Place: Sheridan
Population: 18,111
Median Income: $72,512 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $154,500 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (15th best)
More on Grant County:
4. Benton County
Biggest Place: Springdale
Population: 294,541
Median Income: $89,879 (best)
Median Home Price: $285,100 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (5th best)
More on Benton County:
5. Lonoke County
Biggest Place: Cabot
Population: 74,747
Median Income: $71,449 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $184,100 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (26th best)
More on Lonoke County:
6. Cleveland County
Biggest Place: Rison
Population: 7,491
Median Income: $50,509 (37th best)
Median Home Price: $123,400 (37th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (best)
More on Cleveland County:
7. Perry County
Biggest Place: Perryville
Population: 10,073
Median Income: $60,078 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $129,300 (32nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (27th best)
More on Perry County:
8. Boone County
Biggest Place: Harrison
Population: 37,896
Median Income: $54,195 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $169,300 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (12th best)
More on Boone County:
9. Pulaski County
Biggest Place: Little Rock
Population: 398,949
Median Income: $60,385 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $199,600 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (33rd best)
More on Pulaski County:
10. Cleburne County
Biggest Place: Heber Springs
Population: 25,048
Median Income: $55,979 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $174,600 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (5best)
More on Cleburne County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Arkansas county is the best?
To give you the best county in Arkansas, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Arkansas across each of the criteria from one to 75, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Arkansas.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Natural State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Arkansas.
Read on to see why Saline County is the best county, while Lafayette County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Arkansas.
Summary: The Best Counties In Arkansas To Call Home For 2025
Living in Arkansas can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Arkansas are Saline County, Faulkner County, Grant County, Benton County, Lonoke County, Cleveland County, Perry County, Boone County, Pulaski County, and Cleburne County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Arkansas according to the data:
- Lafayette County
- Phillips County
- Chicot County
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Arkansas
- Best Places To Retire In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Arkansas
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Arkansas
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saline County | 125,724 | $76,534 | $211,700 |
| 2 | Faulkner County | 126,001 | $65,071 | $211,300 |
| 3 | Grant County | 18,111 | $72,512 | $154,500 |
| 4 | Benton County | 294,541 | $89,879 | $285,100 |
| 5 | Lonoke County | 74,747 | $71,449 | $184,100 |
| 6 | Cleveland County | 7,491 | $50,509 | $123,400 |
| 7 | Perry County | 10,073 | $60,078 | $129,300 |
| 8 | Boone County | 37,896 | $54,195 | $169,300 |
| 9 | Pulaski County | 398,949 | $60,385 | $199,600 |
| 10 | Cleburne County | 25,048 | $55,979 | $174,600 |
| 11 | Newton County | 7,175 | $47,395 | $178,800 |
| 12 | Washington County | 251,863 | $66,426 | $266,000 |
| 13 | Baxter County | 42,150 | $48,427 | $165,400 |
| 14 | Hot Spring County | 33,142 | $52,644 | $127,900 |
| 15 | Logan County | 21,240 | $54,237 | $126,900 |
| 16 | Garland County | 100,062 | $55,409 | $176,400 |
| 17 | Craighead County | 112,097 | $57,615 | $198,700 |
| 18 | Arkansas County | 16,773 | $60,831 | $129,400 |
| 19 | Crawford County | 60,792 | $60,362 | $170,000 |
| 20 | Yell County | 20,195 | $58,870 | $131,300 |
| 21 | Pope County | 63,830 | $54,606 | $161,700 |
| 22 | Columbia County | 22,527 | $47,363 | $141,700 |
| 23 | Union County | 38,368 | $50,221 | $114,700 |
| 24 | Little River County | 11,959 | $52,241 | $113,400 |
| 25 | Prairie County | 8,162 | $51,094 | $87,500 |
| 26 | Ouachita County | 22,317 | $49,838 | $99,600 |
| 27 | Madison County | 17,032 | $53,888 | $157,800 |
| 28 | Carroll County | 28,526 | $55,187 | $186,300 |
| 29 | Clark County | 21,378 | $50,985 | $147,100 |
| 30 | Franklin County | 17,220 | $51,919 | $118,800 |
| 31 | Greene County | 46,182 | $56,793 | $162,200 |
| 32 | White County | 77,395 | $53,435 | $159,600 |
| 33 | Sebastian County | 128,448 | $56,450 | $166,000 |
| 34 | Conway County | 20,872 | $51,212 | $137,000 |
| 35 | Dallas County | 6,351 | $44,694 | $98,200 |
| 36 | Pike County | 10,182 | $51,000 | $115,400 |
| 37 | Lincoln County | 12,966 | $51,667 | $106,100 |
| 38 | Calhoun County | 4,717 | $63,654 | $97,300 |
| 39 | Independence County | 38,120 | $56,009 | $120,500 |
| 40 | Randolph County | 18,733 | $52,838 | $118,100 |
| 41 | Marion County | 17,076 | $46,953 | $158,400 |
| 42 | Jefferson County | 65,780 | $48,552 | $106,000 |
| 43 | Fulton County | 12,239 | $38,941 | $107,200 |
| 44 | Johnson County | 25,932 | $44,808 | $124,800 |
| 45 | Van Buren County | 15,936 | $47,266 | $122,300 |
| 46 | Crittenden County | 47,609 | $54,271 | $155,100 |
| 47 | Drew County | 17,143 | $41,071 | $127,800 |
| 48 | Polk County | 19,348 | $49,252 | $122,600 |
| 49 | Clay County | 14,399 | $48,500 | $88,100 |
| 50 | Izard County | 13,866 | $47,728 | $122,100 |
| 51 | Sharp County | 17,597 | $42,950 | $94,600 |
| 52 | Stone County | 12,474 | $38,531 | $149,400 |
| 53 | Montgomery County | 8,571 | $49,015 | $136,000 |
| 54 | Howard County | 12,701 | $44,492 | $135,400 |
| 55 | Hempstead County | 19,778 | $47,654 | $100,200 |
| 56 | Miller County | 42,588 | $49,983 | $148,200 |
| 57 | Mississippi County | 39,749 | $53,428 | $115,800 |
| 58 | Scott County | 9,839 | $45,955 | $110,900 |
| 59 | Searcy County | 7,861 | $41,978 | $108,100 |
| 60 | Nevada County | 8,228 | $41,761 | $85,700 |
| 61 | Sevier County | 15,797 | $51,641 | $111,700 |
| 62 | Ashley County | 18,722 | $44,481 | $88,800 |
| 63 | Woodruff County | 6,157 | $49,982 | $96,800 |
| 64 | Bradley County | 10,354 | $39,565 | $97,000 |
| 65 | Cross County | 16,681 | $47,012 | $104,000 |
| 66 | Poinsett County | 22,740 | $47,188 | $101,200 |
| 67 | Lawrence County | 16,265 | $44,164 | $91,100 |
| 68 | Monroe County | 6,681 | $43,955 | $82,200 |
| 69 | St. Francis County | 22,740 | $41,784 | $87,700 |
| 70 | Desha County | 11,041 | $36,064 | $89,100 |
| 71 | Jackson County | 16,775 | $41,215 | $87,300 |
| 72 | Lee County | 8,511 | $36,860 | $77,900 |
| 73 | Chicot County | 9,997 | $39,683 | $90,500 |
| 74 | Phillips County | 15,910 | $38,874 | $76,200 |
| 75 | Lafayette County | 6,211 | $37,237 | $74,600 |