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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Arkansas's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Little Rock at index 89, where median rent of $1,171/month saves renters $8,688/year versus the national median.
| Rank | City | Combined Rate | Income Tax | Sales Tax | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Rock | 13.9% | 3.9% | 9.47% | 89 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Little Rock — cost index 89, rent $1,171/mo, income $60,583
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Arkansas's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Little Rock at index 89, where median rent of $1,171/month saves renters $8,688/year versus the national median.
Dive into Little Rock's numbers: cost index 89 (23 points below national average), rent $1,171/month, income $60,583, and a home price of $214,773. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 71, while Healthcare runs 91. With 203,842 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Little Rock | 3.9% | 9.47% | 0.57% | $45,204 |
203,842 residents · Arkansas
Dive into Little Rock's numbers: cost index 89 (23 points below national average), rent $1,171/month, income $60,583, and a home price of $214,773. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 71, while Healthcare runs 91. With 203,842 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
We combine state income tax rate, combined sales tax (state + local), and effective property tax rate into a total tax burden score. Cities are ranked by this combined metric — lower is better for your wallet. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Little Rock ranks #1 in Arkansas for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $60,583.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Little Rock is $1,171/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $724 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Little Rock is $214,773, which is 3.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Arkansas has a 3.9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.47%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.57%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.