Little Rock vs Louisville
The short version
- Little Rock is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Louisville area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $233,900 in Louisville and $236,400 in Little Rock.
- Households earn more in Louisville ($66,849 vs $63,003 median).
- Little Rock has the warmer winter: January highs of 51°F vs 44°F.
- Louisville gets far more snow: 13 inches a year vs 4.
- Little Rock has more scorching days: 76 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 43.
- Commutes are shorter in Little Rock (19 vs 23 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 206,427 | 641,962 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.9% | +1.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,703 | 2,441 |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $63,003 | $66,849 |
| Median home value | $236,400 | $233,900 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,106 | $1,120 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 93.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.3 | 78.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,000 | $69,800 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 3.9% | 3.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.48% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.5 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 12% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 5.5% |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 51° / 31° | 44° / 28° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 89° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 13 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 76 | 43 |
| Nights below freezing | 50 | 74 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.8 | 98.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 31% | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.3% | +3.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +37.8% | +40.2% |
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. Louisville: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Little Rock weather by month and Louisville 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 $69,800 in Louisville. Moving from Little Rock to Louisville, you would need about $78,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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