Moving to Arkansas from Kentucky
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kentucky to Arkansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kentucky to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 0.2% more expensive than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $72,645 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kentucky to Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $72,645
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 9.7% more
Groceries
pay 3.5% less
Transportation
pay 9.4% less
Housing
pay 5.2% more
Childcare
pay 11.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.6% 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 Kentucky to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky 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
Kentucky 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 Kentucky leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kentucky 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
Kentucky generally does better on employment & economy, though Arkansas leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bowling Green | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than Kentucky?
Yes — Arkansas is on average about 3% cheaper than Kentucky. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,161 in Arkansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Arkansas safe?
Kentucky performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Kentucky?
Kentucky performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to Kentucky?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.
