Memphis vs Jonesboro
The short version
- Jonesboro is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Memphis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $169,000 in Memphis and $223,200 in Jonesboro.
- Households earn more in Jonesboro ($55,424 vs $51,736 median).
- Memphis has the warmer winter: January highs of 51°F vs 47°F.
- Jonesboro is growing faster: +6.1% since 2020 vs -3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Jonesboro (18 vs 21 minutes each way).
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Arkansas's top rate is 3.9%.
Side by side
| Memphis, TN | Jonesboro, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 609,647 | 83,296 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3% | +6.1% |
| People per square mile | 2,104 | 1,039 |
| Median age | 34.2 | 33.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $51,736 | $55,424 |
| Median home value | $169,000 | $223,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.3× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,181 | $956 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.2 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.8 | 53.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,100 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 45% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | None | 3.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.61% | 9.48% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.1 | 18.0 |
| Work from home | 9% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.3% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 23.1% | 22.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 51° / 33° | 47° / 31° |
| July high / low | 92° / 74° | 91° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 55 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 72 | 66 |
| Nights below freezing | 44 | 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) | 99.4 | 91.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +1.8% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.1% | +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: Memphis: September to October. Jonesboro: September to October.
Full monthly tables: Memphis 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 $69,100 in Memphis and $64,400 in Jonesboro. Moving from Memphis to Jonesboro, you would need about $69,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Memphis 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 Memphis and Jonesboro.
Which would you pick?
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