Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arkansas instead of Kentucky, you would:
Economy
be 20.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Kentucky, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Arkansas, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Kentucky has a violent crime rate of 220 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 610 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 44.0% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Kentucky has a property crime rate of 1,525 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 2,195 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.7 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Kentucky takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023. In Arkansas, it takes 22.3 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 48.4% less densely populated
Kentucky has a population density of 44.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 22.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 32.0% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Kentucky, 2.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 3.3% as of 2023.
be 50.9% more likely to be uninsured
In Kentucky, 5.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 8.6% as of 2023.
be 17.8% more likely to be physically inactive
In Kentucky, 25.8% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Arkansas, that number is 30.4% as of 2022.
be 19.0% more likely to be food insecure
In Kentucky, 12.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Arkansas, that number is 15.0% as of 2021.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
