Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Arkansas instead of West Virginia, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In West Virginia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2020. In Arkansas, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
Safety
be 2.3 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
West Virginia has a violent crime rate of 266 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 610 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 83.3% more likely to be a victim of property crime
West Virginia has a property crime rate of 1,198 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 2,195 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 12.7% more for a home
The median home value in West Virginia is $155,600 as of 2023, compared to $175,300 in Arkansas as of 2023.
be 11.0% less likely to own your home
In West Virginia, 74.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 66.1% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 4.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in West Virginia takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023. In Arkansas, it takes 22.3 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 19.7% less densely populated
West Virginia has a population density of 28.4 people per sq km as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 22.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In West Virginia, 0.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 3.3% as of 2023.
be 41.0% more likely to be uninsured
In West Virginia, 6.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Arkansas, that number is 8.6% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 4.3 years older on average
The median age in West Virginia is 42.7 years as of 2023. In Arkansas, the median age is 38.4 years as of 2023.
be 27.1% more likely to be food insecure
In West Virginia, 11.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Arkansas, that number is 15.0% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
