Moving to Utah from Arkansas

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Arkansas to Utah — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Arkansas to Utah, you would find that Utah is 8.3% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $83,096 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arkansas to Utah.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $83,096

To maintain the same standard of living in Utah

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 5.0% less

Groceries

pay 9.2% more

Transportation

pay 42.9% more

Housing

pay 9.5% more

Childcare

pay 12.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Arkansas to Utah.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
610
UT
224
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
2195
UT
1576

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AR
8.6%
UT
8.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AR
38.3%
UT
32.3%

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AR
$175,300
UT
$455,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AR
$914
UT
$1,405

Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Utah leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AR
84.9%
UT
92.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AR
22 min
UT
22 min

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
4.2%
UT
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$47,319
UT
$66,207

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AR
73.8 yrs
UT
78.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AR
16%
UT
21%

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.

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.

Little Rock Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

Salt Lake City Rain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Little Rock Salt Lake City
Jan–Mar 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) 87°/60°F (31°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 51°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Little Rock Salt Lake City
Jan 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)
Feb 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)
Mar 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Apr 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)
May 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)
Jun 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)
Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)
Aug 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)
Sep 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)
Nov 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)
Dec 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Arkansas?

No — Utah is on average about 11% more expensive than Arkansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Utah?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,774 in Utah on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Utah safe?

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Utah compared to Arkansas?

Utah performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Utah compared to Arkansas?

The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.

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