Broken Arrow vs Jonesboro
The short version
- Jonesboro is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Broken Arrow area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $223,200 in Jonesboro and $250,400 in Broken Arrow.
- Households earn more in Broken Arrow ($86,765 vs $55,424 median).
- Broken Arrow is growing faster: +10.1% since 2020 vs +6.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Jonesboro (18 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Broken Arrow, OK | Jonesboro, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 124,991 | 83,296 |
| Growth since 2020 | +10.1% | +6.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,985 | 1,039 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 33.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $86,765 | $55,424 |
| Median home value | $250,400 | $223,200 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,320 | $956 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.2 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.2 | 53.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,900 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 72% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.06% | 9.48% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.9 | 18.0 |
| Work from home | 11% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.2% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 22.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 49° / 28° | 47° / 31° |
| July high / low | 94° / 73° | 91° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 9 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 74 | 66 |
| Nights below freezing | 72 | 65 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.9 | 91.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 50% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +4% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +29.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Broken Arrow: April and September to October. Jonesboro: September to October.
Full monthly tables: Broken Arrow weather by month and Jonesboro weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,900 in Broken Arrow and $64,400 in Jonesboro. Moving from Broken Arrow to Jonesboro, you would need about $72,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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