What’s the best part of Little Rock? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Little Rock are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Little Rock neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Arkansas and Little Rock is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$81,906 median income · $370,000 median home value
$67,187 median income · $210,583 median home value
$73,968 median income · $286,780 median home value
$79,200 median income · $246,800 median home value
$96,832 median income · $284,525 median home value
$78,665 median income · $184,325 median home value
$40,185 median income · $150,520 median home value
$51,613 median income · $190,440 median home value
$50,886 median income · $175,340 median home value
$45,068 median income · $146,400 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Arkansas’s statewide median.
Arkansas statewide median: $60,773
Arkansas statewide median: $222,050
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Little Rock, AR neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Little Rock, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 27 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Little Rock.” We’re lookin’ at you, Heights.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Little Rock, Arkansas has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Little Rock.
The full plate
Table: Best Little Rock neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heights | 5,151 | $370,000 | $81,906 |
| 2 | Midtown | 9,054 | $210,583 | $67,187 |
| 3 | Hillcrest | 5,671 | $286,780 | $73,968 |
| 4 | Rock Creek | 13,859 | $246,800 | $79,200 |
| 5 | River Mountain | 13,802 | $284,525 | $96,832 |
| 6 | Reservoir | 7,104 | $184,325 | $78,665 |
| 7 | Capital View-Stiff | 3,043 | $150,520 | $40,185 |
| 8 | Otter Creek Crystal | 7,130 | $190,440 | $51,613 |
| 9 | Walnut Valley | 7,214 | $175,340 | $50,886 |
| 10 | Westwood-Pecan Lake | 4,995 | $146,400 | $45,068 |
| 11 | John Barrow | 12,336 | $111,127 | $40,153 |
| 12 | South Geyer Springs | 1,711 | $122,250 | $50,150 |
| 13 | Cloverdale Watson | 6,314 | $94,467 | $41,717 |
| 14 | Downtown | 6,391 | $137,400 | $30,291 |
| 15 | West Markham | 2,565 | $139,540 | $49,271 |
| 16 | Briarwood | 2,140 | $140,250 | $48,726 |
| 17 | Boyle Park | 4,661 | $117,640 | $40,050 |
| 18 | Upper Baseline | 11,175 | $77,567 | $35,028 |
| 19 | Chicot West | 8,651 | $95,686 | $38,423 |
| 20 | Oak Forest | 8,070 | $83,662 | $30,444 |
| 21 | Central High | 1,859 | $109,300 | $34,319 |
| 22 | Stephens | 4,723 | $101,391 | $36,465 |
| 23 | Big Dickinson Lake | 750 | $78,300 | $38,607 |
| 24 | 65th Street West | 3,738 | $79,650 | $35,436 |
| 25 | East Of I-30 | 1,801 | $94,080 | $32,768 |
| 26 | Wakefield | 3,017 | $74,850 | $33,180 |
| 27 | South End | 2,787 | $69,925 | $31,969 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 27 Little Rock neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Little Rock
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Little Rock where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Little Rock are Heights, Midtown, Hillcrest, Rock Creek, River Mountain, Reservoir, Capital View-Stiff, Otter Creek Crystal, Walnut Valley, and Westwood-Pecan Lake.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Little Rock aren’t all good. South End takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Little Rock.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Arkansas? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Little Rock FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Little Rock?
Heights is the best neighborhood in Little Rock for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Midtown and Hillcrest are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Little Rock?
The best neighborhoods in Little Rock are Heights, Midtown, Hillcrest, Rock Creek, River Mountain, Reservoir, Capital View-Stiff, Otter Creek Crystal, Walnut Valley, and Westwood-Pecan Lake. We ranked all 27 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Heights?
The median household income in Heights is $81,906 and the median home costs $370,000. The best blocks in Little Rock rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Little Rock neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Heights, takes the top spot.
Which Little Rock neighborhood ranked last?
South End came in last of the 27 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Little Rock the numbers put it there.
