Before you decide to relocate to Arkansas, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Arkansas that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2019-2023 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 64 places in Arkansas with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Arkansas for 2025.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Arkansas For 2025
What’s the most expensive place to live in Arkansas? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Maumelle is the most expensive place to live in Arkansas.
El Dorado (the cheapest place to live in Arkansas) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Arkansas and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Arkansas For 2025
/10
Population: 19,286
Cost Of Living Index: 106
Median Income: $92,466
Average Home Price: $276,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.0x
More on Maumelle: Data
The overall cost of living in Maumelle is 106. The median income in Maumelle comes in at $92,466 and the average home value is $276,900 for 2025.
2. Cave Springs
/10
Population: 5,778
Cost Of Living Index: 106
Median Income: $147,917
Average Home Price: $431,300
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on Cave Springs:
The overall cost of living in Cave Springs is 106. The median income in Cave Springs comes in at $147,917 and the average home value is $431,300 for 2025.
/10
Population: 56,326
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $108,465
Average Home Price: $370,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.4x
More on Bentonville: Data
The overall cost of living in Bentonville is 98. The median income in Bentonville comes in at $108,465 and the average home value is $370,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 21,125
Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $83,219
Average Home Price: $223,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.7x
More on Bryant: Data
The overall cost of living in Bryant is 96. The median income in Bryant comes in at $83,219 and the average home value is $223,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 202,739
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $60,583
Average Home Price: $221,200
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on Little Rock: Data
The overall cost of living in Little Rock is 95. The median income in Little Rock comes in at $60,583 and the average home value is $221,200 for 2025.
/10
Population: 97,227
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $59,074
Average Home Price: $322,500
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.5x
More on Fayetteville: Data
The overall cost of living in Fayetteville is 95. The median income in Fayetteville comes in at $59,074 and the average home value is $322,500 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,469
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $88,541
Average Home Price: $249,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.8x
More on Farmington: Data
The overall cost of living in Farmington is 95. The median income in Farmington comes in at $88,541 and the average home value is $249,900 for 2025.
/10
Population: 26,733
Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $72,656
Average Home Price: $197,000
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.7x
More on Cabot: Data
The overall cost of living in Cabot is 94. The median income in Cabot comes in at $72,656 and the average home value is $197,000 for 2025.
/10
Population: 35,954
Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $69,638
Average Home Price: $199,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.9x
More on Benton: Data
The overall cost of living in Benton is 93. The median income in Benton comes in at $69,638 and the average home value is $199,400 for 2025.
/10
Population: 32,915
Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $79,157
Average Home Price: $190,900
Home Price To Income Ratio: 2.4x
More on Sherwood: Data
The overall cost of living in Sherwood is 93. The median income in Sherwood comes in at $79,157 and the average home value is $190,900 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Natural State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Arkansas are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Arkansas to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 64 places in Arkansas that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Arkansas according to the data is Maumelle. We updated this article for 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Arkansas.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Arkansas For 2025
Well, there you have it, the places in Arkansas that have the highest cost of living, with Maumelle ranking as the most expensive city in the Natural State.
The most expensive cities in Arkansas are Maumelle, Cave Springs, Bentonville, Bryant, Little Rock, Fayetteville, Farmington, Cabot, Benton, and Sherwood.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Arkansas according to the data:
- El Dorado
- Helena-West Helena
- Forrest City
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Arkansas
- Safest Places In Arkansas
- Worst Places To Live In Arkansas
Most Expensive Cities In Arkansas
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maumelle | 106 | 19,286 | $92,466 | $276,900 | 3.0x |
| 2 | Cave Springs | 106 | 5,778 | $147,917 | $431,300 | 2.9x |
| 3 | Bentonville | 98 | 56,326 | $108,465 | $370,700 | 3.4x |
| 4 | Bryant | 96 | 21,125 | $83,219 | $223,400 | 2.7x |
| 5 | Little Rock | 95 | 202,739 | $60,583 | $221,200 | 3.7x |
| 6 | Fayetteville | 95 | 97,227 | $59,074 | $322,500 | 5.5x |
| 7 | Farmington | 95 | 8,469 | $88,541 | $249,900 | 2.8x |
| 8 | Cabot | 94 | 26,733 | $72,656 | $197,000 | 2.7x |
| 9 | Benton | 93 | 35,954 | $69,638 | $199,400 | 2.9x |
| 10 | Sherwood | 93 | 32,915 | $79,157 | $190,900 | 2.4x |
| 11 | Jacksonville | 92 | 29,285 | $46,947 | $155,300 | 3.3x |
| 12 | Centerton | 92 | 20,212 | $112,920 | $295,500 | 2.6x |
| 13 | Beebe | 92 | 8,580 | $56,424 | $163,400 | 2.9x |
| 14 | Ward | 92 | 6,367 | $78,841 | $182,100 | 2.3x |
| 15 | White Hall | 92 | 5,520 | $84,304 | $207,100 | 2.5x |
| 16 | Springdale | 91 | 87,388 | $66,044 | $237,200 | 3.6x |
| 17 | Jonesboro | 91 | 79,187 | $52,559 | $213,400 | 4.1x |
| 18 | Rogers | 91 | 71,411 | $82,993 | $278,000 | 3.3x |
| 19 | Pea Ridge | 91 | 7,348 | $93,627 | $255,600 | 2.7x |
| 20 | North Little Rock | 90 | 64,504 | $51,236 | $169,500 | 3.3x |
| 21 | Hot Springs | 89 | 38,023 | $46,441 | $156,900 | 3.4x |
| 22 | Marion | 89 | 13,641 | $80,637 | $206,300 | 2.6x |
| 23 | Lowell | 89 | 10,438 | $92,986 | $260,100 | 2.8x |
| 24 | Greenwood | 89 | 9,570 | $65,745 | $177,300 | 2.7x |
| 25 | Prairie Grove | 89 | 7,445 | $58,556 | $226,800 | 3.9x |
| 26 | Alma | 89 | 5,879 | $58,320 | $197,200 | 3.4x |
| 27 | Texarkana | 87 | 29,343 | $47,930 | $162,700 | 3.4x |
| 28 | Arkadelphia | 87 | 10,316 | $42,430 | $176,000 | 4.1x |
| 29 | Stuttgart | 87 | 8,060 | $58,906 | $150,600 | 2.6x |
| 30 | Fort Smith | 86 | 89,496 | $52,692 | $168,100 | 3.2x |
| 31 | Conway | 86 | 66,288 | $58,461 | $234,600 | 4.0x |
| 32 | Paragould | 86 | 29,940 | $56,181 | $175,400 | 3.1x |
| 33 | Searcy | 86 | 23,115 | $50,896 | $176,200 | 3.5x |
| 34 | Siloam Springs | 86 | 18,096 | $65,725 | $205,000 | 3.1x |
| 35 | Greenbrier | 86 | 5,875 | $59,099 | $171,100 | 2.9x |
| 36 | Pine Bluff | 85 | 40,436 | $41,250 | $86,400 | 2.1x |
| 37 | Van Buren | 85 | 23,545 | $59,420 | $178,000 | 3.0x |
| 38 | Batesville | 84 | 11,385 | $54,424 | $159,200 | 2.9x |
| 39 | Magnolia | 84 | 10,973 | $42,188 | $166,500 | 3.9x |
| 40 | Hope | 84 | 8,787 | $44,353 | $87,800 | 2.0x |
| 41 | Heber Springs | 84 | 7,101 | $49,917 | $152,900 | 3.1x |
| 42 | Berryville | 84 | 5,715 | $39,548 | $153,500 | 3.9x |
| 43 | Russellville | 83 | 29,057 | $48,708 | $166,500 | 3.4x |
| 44 | Mountain Home | 83 | 13,021 | $42,103 | $160,200 | 3.8x |
| 45 | Camden | 83 | 10,427 | $51,300 | $108,800 | 2.1x |
| 46 | Clarksville | 83 | 9,500 | $37,848 | $159,700 | 4.2x |
| 47 | Monticello | 83 | 8,320 | $27,998 | $128,900 | 4.6x |
| 48 | Newport | 83 | 8,019 | $32,693 | $132,200 | 4.0x |
| 49 | Pocahontas | 82 | 7,475 | $42,829 | $107,500 | 2.5x |
| 50 | Harrison | 81 | 13,217 | $40,568 | $165,000 | 4.1x |
| 51 | Blytheville | 81 | 13,026 | $49,928 | $101,200 | 2.0x |
| 52 | Malvern | 81 | 10,938 | $40,602 | $95,500 | 2.4x |
| 53 | De Queen | 81 | 6,077 | $50,979 | $108,500 | 2.1x |
| 54 | Mena | 81 | 5,605 | $50,875 | $114,200 | 2.2x |
| 55 | Walnut Ridge | 81 | 5,440 | $47,612 | $104,500 | 2.2x |
| 56 | Trumann | 80 | 7,432 | $38,079 | $108,000 | 2.8x |
| 57 | West Memphis | 79 | 24,147 | $41,860 | $119,100 | 2.8x |
| 58 | Wynne | 79 | 8,220 | $40,102 | $125,300 | 3.1x |
| 59 | Morrilton | 79 | 7,022 | $38,056 | $150,900 | 4.0x |
| 60 | Osceola | 79 | 6,807 | $40,783 | $108,700 | 2.7x |
| 61 | Warren | 79 | 5,342 | $35,064 | $86,400 | 2.5x |
| 62 | Forrest City | 78 | 12,826 | $33,522 | $87,800 | 2.6x |
| 63 | Helena-West Helena | 78 | 9,218 | $32,466 | $72,300 | 2.2x |
| 64 | El Dorado | 77 | 17,382 | $45,159 | $113,100 | 2.5x |