Moving to Arkansas from North Carolina

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from North Carolina to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 10.1% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $63,627 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between North Carolina and Arkansas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $63,627

To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.8% more

Groceries

pay 21.1% less

Transportation

pay 22.7% less

Housing

pay 8.2% less

Childcare

pay 19.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.0% 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 North Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
AR
610
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
AR
2195

North Carolina 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

NC
9.6%
AR
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
AR
38.3%

North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NC
$259,400
AR
$175,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
AR
$914

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

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

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
AR
22 min

North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Arkansas leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NC
3.4%
AR
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
AR
$47,319

North Carolina 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

NC
76.1 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

NC
22%
AR
16%

North Carolina 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.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Little Rock
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 56°/38°F (13°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 80°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 89°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Little Rock
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?

On average Arkansas is about 15% less expensive than North Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?

Budget about $15,907 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?

North Carolina performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to North Carolina?

North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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