Moving to Arkansas from Montana

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Montana to Arkansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Montana to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 13.4% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $63,045 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Little Rock averages 72°F vs 58°F in Helena, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Montana and Arkansas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $63,045

To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.3% less

Groceries

pay 15.0% less

Transportation

pay 11.7% less

Housing

pay 13.7% less

Childcare

pay 20.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.6% 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

The numbers behind daily life in Arkansas compared to Montana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
AR
610
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
AR
2195

Montana 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

MT
8.0%
AR
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
AR
38.3%

Montana 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

MT
$338,100
AR
$175,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
AR
$914

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

MT
88.7%
AR
84.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
AR
22 min

Montana 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

MT
3.7%
AR
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
AR
$47,319

Montana 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

MT
76.8 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

MT
23%
AR
16%

Montana 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.

Helena Rain: 11.2 in/yr (285 mm)
58° / 33°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Little Rock
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 56°/38°F (13°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 80°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 89°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Helena Little Rock
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°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 Montana?

On average Arkansas is about 16% less expensive than Montana, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?

Budget about $15,761 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?

Montana performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Montana?

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

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

The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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