Moving to Arkansas from Alabama
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Arkansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Alabama to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 2.9% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $76,360 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,360
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 9.1% more
Groceries
pay 10.2% less
Transportation
pay 12.2% less
Housing
pay 10.4% more
Childcare
pay 10.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alabama to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alabama performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Alabama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Alabama leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alabama generally does better on infrastructure, though Arkansas leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Alabama performs better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Alabama generally does better on family life, though Arkansas leads in life expectancy.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montgomery | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montgomery | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than Alabama?
Costs in Arkansas and Alabama are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,090 in Arkansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Arkansas safe?
Alabama performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Alabama?
Alabama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to Alabama?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.
