Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arkansas instead of Mississippi, you would:
Health
live 1.9 years longer
In Mississippi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Arkansas, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
make 13.3% more money
Mississippi has a GDP per capita of $41,778 as of 2024, while in Arkansas, the GDP per capita is $47,319 as of 2024.
be 17.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mississippi, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Arkansas, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2023.
be 35.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Mississippi, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Arkansas, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Mississippi has a violent crime rate of 202 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 610 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 39.0% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Mississippi has a property crime rate of 1,579 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 2,195 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Mississippi takes 25.6 minutes as of 2023. In Arkansas, it takes 22.3 minutes as of 2023.
be 23.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Mississippi, 11.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 8.6% as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Mississippi, 1.4% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 3.3% 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.
