Little Rock, AR
Census place 0541000 · pop 203,436
Site of the 1957 desegregation crisis at Central High School, where federal troops escorted the "Little Rock Nine."
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
1673 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
5252 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.53 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
55 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
40.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
53.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
29.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
95/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
6 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$63,003 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$236,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.80% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
44.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,203/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Frequently asked
- Is Little Rock, AR a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Little Rock scores 40/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is violent crime rate. Arkansas overall ranks #35 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Little Rock, AR?
- Little Rock reports 1673 violent crimes per 100k and 5252 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Little Rock, AR expensive to live in?
- Little Rock has a median home value of $236,400 and typical rent around $1,203/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Little Rock, AR?
- Its weakest measured area is violent crime rate (1673/100k) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Little Rock, AR best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,203/mo) — 88/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Site of the 1957 desegregation crisis at Central High School, where federal troops escorted the "Little Rock Nine."
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.