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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Natural State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Arkansas For 2022
Grant County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Arkansas. And you might want to avoid St. Francis County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Arkansas, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Arkansas and the cheapest places to live in Arkansas.
The Best Counties To Live In Arkansas For 2022
1. Grant County
Biggest Place: Sheridan
Population: 18,229
Median Income: $59,051.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $122,600.0 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (5th best)
More on Grant County: Photos | Data
2. Saline County
Biggest Place: Benton
Population: 120,990
Median Income: $66,876.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $159,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (12th best)
More on Saline County: Photos | Data
3. Cleveland County
Biggest Place: Rison
Population: 8,063
Median Income: $46,349.0 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $90,400.0 (45th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (4th best)
More on Cleveland County: Photos | Data
4. Boone County
Biggest Place: Harrison
Population: 37,525
Median Income: $46,392.0 (2best)
Median Home Price: $127,200.0 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (18th best)
More on Boone County: Photos | Data
5. Benton County
Biggest Place: Springdale
Population: 273,510
Median Income: $71,556.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $192,900.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (2nd best)
More on Benton County: Photos | Data
6. Faulkner County
Biggest Place: Conway
Population: 124,800
Median Income: $54,191.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $163,900.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on Faulkner County: Photos | Data
7. Perry County
Biggest Place: Perryville
Population: 10,342
Median Income: $44,926.0 (29th best)
Median Home Price: $115,000.0 (25th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (33rd best)
More on Perry County: Data
8. Baxter County
Biggest Place: Mountain Home
Population: 41,673
Median Income: $43,504.0 (35th best)
Median Home Price: $134,500.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (35th best)
More on Baxter County: Photos | Data
9. Newton County
Biggest Place: Jasper
Population: 7,753
Median Income: $39,542.0 (53rd best)
Median Home Price: $127,100.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (32nd best)
More on Newton County: Data
10. Lonoke County
Biggest Place: Cabot
Population: 73,163
Median Income: $59,278.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $145,000.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (2best)
More on Lonoke County: Photos | Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Natural State.
Read on to see why Grant County is the best county, while St. Francis County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Arkansas.
Summary: The Best Counties In Arkansas To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Arkansas can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Arkansas according to the data:
- St. Francis County
- Jackson County
- Phillips County
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Arkansas
- Richest Cities In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Best Places To Retire In Arkansas
