Moving to Arkansas from Kansas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kansas to Arkansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kansas to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 1.9% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $74,746 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kansas and Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,746
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.0% more
Groceries
pay 5.0% less
Transportation
pay 5.4% less
Housing
pay 5.5% more
Childcare
pay 12.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.2% less
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
The numbers behind daily life in Arkansas compared to Kansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kansas 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
Kansas performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Kansas leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kansas performs better than Arkansas across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Kansas 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
Kansas 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Topeka | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Topeka | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than Kansas?
Arkansas and Kansas are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?
Budget about $18,686 for 3 months in Arkansas (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arkansas safe?
Kansas performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Kansas?
Kansas performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to Kansas?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.
