Moving to Arkansas from Idaho

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Idaho to Arkansas — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Idaho to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 4.8% cheaper than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $67,891 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Idaho to Arkansas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $67,891

To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.4% more

Groceries

pay 6.3% less

Transportation

pay 16.5% less

Housing

pay 1.9% more

Childcare

pay 3.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.2% less

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

How Idaho and Arkansas stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
226
AR
610
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
784
AR
2195

Idaho performs 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

ID
8.5%
AR
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

ID
33.5%
AR
38.3%

Idaho performs 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

ID
$376,000
AR
$175,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

ID
$1,150
AR
$914

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

ID
91.3%
AR
84.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

ID
22 min
AR
22 min

Idaho performs 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

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$49,054
AR
$47,319

Idaho performs 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

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

ID
19%
AR
16%

Idaho performs 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.

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boise Little Rock
Jan–Mar 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) 56°/38°F (13°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 80°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) 89°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Boise Little Rock
Jan 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)
Feb 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)
Mar 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)
Apr 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)
May 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)
Jun 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)
Jul 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)
Sep 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)
Oct 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)
Nov 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)
Dec 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than Idaho?

Generally yes: Arkansas runs about 9% cheaper than Idaho on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,973 in Arkansas for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Arkansas safe?

Idaho performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Idaho?

Idaho performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.

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