Memphis vs Little Rock
The short version
- Little Rock is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Memphis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $169,000 in Memphis and $236,400 in Little Rock.
- Households earn more in Little Rock ($63,003 vs $51,736 median).
- Little Rock is growing faster: +1.9% since 2020 vs -3%.
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Arkansas's top rate is 3.9%.
Side by side
| Memphis, TN | Little Rock, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 609,647 | 206,427 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3% | +1.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,104 | 1,703 |
| Median age | 34.2 | 35.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28% | 45% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $51,736 | $63,003 |
| Median home value | $169,000 | $236,400 |
| Home value to income | 3.3× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,181 | $1,106 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.2 | 89.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.8 | 68.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,100 | $67,000 |
| 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 | 18.5 |
| Work from home | 9% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.3% | 4.1% |
| Poverty rate | 23.1% | 17.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 51° / 33° | 51° / 31° |
| July high / low | 92° / 74° | 92° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 55 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 72 | 76 |
| Nights below freezing | 44 | 50 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.4 | 96.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | 31% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.8% | +2.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.1% | +37.8% |
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. Little Rock: September to October.
Full monthly tables: Memphis weather by month and Little Rock 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 $67,000 in Little Rock. Moving from Memphis to Little Rock, you would need about $72,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Memphis and Little Rock
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 Little Rock.
Which would you pick?
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