Moving to Arkansas from New Mexico
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Mexico to Arkansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Mexico to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 6.3% cheaper than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $66,959 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Mexico to Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,959
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.5% more
Groceries
pay 13.9% less
Transportation
pay 4.3% less
Childcare
pay 6.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.7% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Mexico to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arkansas performs significantly better than New Mexico 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
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
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 New Mexico leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arkansas performs significantly better than New Mexico 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
New Mexico 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
New Mexico 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 | Santa Fe | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santa Fe | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than New Mexico?
Yes — Arkansas is on average about 11% cheaper than New Mexico. 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 $16,740 in Arkansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Arkansas safe?
Arkansas performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to New Mexico?
New Mexico generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to New Mexico?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.
