Little Rock vs Jonesboro
The short version
- Jonesboro is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Little Rock area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $223,200 in Jonesboro and $236,400 in Little Rock.
- Households earn more in Little Rock ($63,003 vs $55,424 median).
- Jonesboro is growing faster: +6.1% since 2020 vs +1.9%.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Jonesboro, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 206,427 | 83,296 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.9% | +6.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,703 | 1,039 |
| Median age | 35.9 | 33.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $63,003 | $55,424 |
| Median home value | $236,400 | $223,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,106 | $956 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.3 | 53.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,000 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.48% | 9.48% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.5 | 18.0 |
| Work from home | 12% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 22.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 51° / 31° | 47° / 31° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 91° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 76 | 66 |
| Nights below freezing | 50 | 65 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.8 | 91.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 31% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +2.3% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +37.8% | +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: Little Rock: September to October. Jonesboro: September to October.
Full monthly tables: Little Rock 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 $67,000 in Little Rock and $64,400 in Jonesboro. Moving from Little Rock to Jonesboro, you would need about $72,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Little Rock and Jonesboro
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Little Rock and Jonesboro.
Which would you pick?
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