Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arkansas instead of Tennessee, you would:
Economy
be 23.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Tennessee, 3.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Arkansas, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
be 17.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Tennessee, 12.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Arkansas, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2023.
make 21.4% less money
Tennessee has a GDP per capita of $60,177 as of 2024, while in Arkansas, the GDP per capita is $47,319 as of 2024.
Housing & Income
pay 31.7% less for a home
The median home value in Tennessee is $256,800 as of 2023, compared to $175,300 in Arkansas as of 2023.
pay 18.5% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Tennessee is $1,122 as of 2023, while in Arkansas, it is $914 as of 2023.
earn 12.4% less money
The median household income in Tennessee is $67,097 as of 2023, while in Arkansas, it is $58,773 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.4 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Tennessee takes 25.7 minutes as of 2023. In Arkansas, it takes 22.3 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 66.0% less densely populated
Tennessee has a population density of 67.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 22.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 10.1% more likely to be physically inactive
In Tennessee, 27.6% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Arkansas, that number is 30.4% as of 2022.
be 17.5% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Tennessee, 20.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 16.5% as of 2023.
be 37.6% more likely to be food insecure
In Tennessee, 10.9% 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), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
