Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mississippi instead of Arkansas, you would:
Health
live 1.9 years less
In Arkansas, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Mississippi, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 26.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Arkansas, 4.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Mississippi, that number is 3.1% as of 2025.
make 11.7% less money
Arkansas has a GDP per capita of $47,319 as of 2024, while in Mississippi, the GDP per capita is $41,778 as of 2024.
be 21.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Arkansas, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Mississippi, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 66.9% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Arkansas has a violent crime rate of 610 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 202 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Arkansas has a property crime rate of 2,195 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 1,579 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Arkansas takes 22.3 minutes as of 2023. In Mississippi, it takes 25.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 31.4% more likely to be uninsured
In Arkansas, 8.6% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 11.3% as of 2023.
be 57.6% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Arkansas, 3.3% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 1.4% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
