Moving to Arkansas from Ohio

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ohio to Arkansas — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Ohio to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 1.5% cheaper than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $73,860 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ohio to Arkansas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $73,860

To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 8.2% more

Groceries

pay 4.2% less

Transportation

pay 24.2% less

Housing

pay 5.7% more

Childcare

pay 3.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.3% more

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

How Ohio and Arkansas stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
284
AR
610
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
1676
AR
2195

Ohio 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

OH
6.2%
AR
8.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OH
39.5%
AR
38.3%

Ohio generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OH
$199,200
AR
$175,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OH
$988
AR
$914

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

OH
89.0%
AR
84.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OH
24 min
AR
22 min

Ohio 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

OH
4.0%
AR
4.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OH
$60,669
AR
$47,319

Ohio 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

OH
75.3 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

OH
21%
AR
16%

Ohio 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.

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbus Little Rock
Jan–Mar 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 56°/38°F (13°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) 80°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) 89°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Columbus Little Rock
Jan 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)
Feb 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)
Mar 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)
Apr 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)
May 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)
Jun 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)
Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)
Sep 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)
Oct 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)
Nov 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)
Dec 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°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 Ohio?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Arkansas and Ohio; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,465 in Arkansas for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Arkansas safe?

Ohio performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Ohio?

Ohio generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in adult obesity rate.

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

The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.

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