Compare cities in Arkansas

Compare 3 metro profiles in Arkansas, with housing cost, climate, work, safety, daily-life, and source-labeled data.

3Metro profiles
$922/moAverage ACS rent
Fort SmithLowest ACS rent in this set
FayettevilleHighest single category score

Arkansas metros to compare

  1. #1

    Fayetteville, AR

    Cost/climate 72, Work 77, Daily life 45, Community 53. ACS rent $1,010/mo; safety 27/100.

  2. #2

    Little Rock, AR

    Cost/climate 68, Work 74, Daily life 43, Community 45. ACS rent $964/mo; safety 22/100.

  3. #3

    Fort Smith, AR

    Cost/climate 77, Work 76, Daily life 34, Community 40. ACS rent $791/mo; safety 27/100.

In-state comparisons

Retiring in Arkansas: state tax treatment

Social SecurityNot taxedSocial Security benefits are exempt from Arkansas income tax.
Pension / 401(k) / IRAPartially taxed / income-limitedUp to $6,000 per person exemption for employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA distributions; military retirement pay is fully exempt.
Senior property-tax reliefAvailableAmendment 79 freezes the taxable assessed value of the homestead for homeowners 65+.
Estate taxNo
Inheritance taxNo

Research, not tax advice. This is an unverified snapshot retrieved 2026-07-13 from public sources — thresholds, phase-outs, and rules change every year. Verify with the Arkansas revenue department and a tax professional before acting on it.

Use the Retirement Edition quiz to reweight Arkansas metros around healthcare access, retirement taxes, cost, and climate comfort.

Score these Arkansas cities against your own answers

State hubs use broad public-data screens. The questionnaire reweights every city around your housing budget, climate preferences, work needs, household needs, and daily-life priorities.

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