Cost of living in Little Rock research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Little Rock is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Arkansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Little Rock is 96, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Little Rock is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Little Rock ranks as the #63 cheapest in Arkansas out of 65.
Little Rock ranks as the #2,601 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Little Rock is $179,500.
The median income in Little Rock is $56,928.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Little Rock has an overall cost of living index of 96, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Arkansas, Little Rock has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Arkansas's index of 90.
The standard of living in Little Rock ranks as #63 most affordable out of the 65 places we measured in Arkansas. By definition, that implies Little Rock ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Natural State.
For more reading on life in Little Rock, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Little Rock. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Little Rock is 104.
The Groceries index in Little Rock is 90.
The Health index in Little Rock is 91.
The Housing index in Little Rock is 85.
The Transportation index in Little Rock is 92.
The Utilities index in Little Rock is 93.
Living Expense | Little Rock | Arkansas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 96 | 90 | 100 | |
Services | 104 | 98 | 100 | |
Groceries | 90 | 94 | 100 | |
Health | 91 | 85 | 100 | |
Housing | 85 | 76 | 100 | |
Transportation | 92 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 93 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Arkansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Little Rock is $179,500.
The Median Rent in Little Rock is $940.
The Median Income in Little Rock is $56,928.
The Home Value To Income in Little Rock is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Little Rock is 0.2x.
Statistic | Little Rock | Arkansas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $179,500 | $142,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $940 | $803 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $56,928 | $52,123 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.2x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Little Rock | Arkansas |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.93 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.22 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $14.45 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.36 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $42.83 | $39.05 |
Item | Little Rock | Arkansas |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.72 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.16 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.78 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.57 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.82 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.67 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.98 | $2.34 |
Item | Little Rock | Arkansas |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $101.5 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $125.22 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $69.23 | $99.13 |
Item | Little Rock | Arkansas |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $1.89 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $52.89 | $50.07 |
Item | Little Rock | Arkansas |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $143.0 | $167.67 |
Phone | $197.3 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Little Rock. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
North Little Rock, AR has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Little Rock.
Benton, AR has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Little Rock.
Sherwood, AR has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Little Rock.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Little Rock |
---|---|---|---|
North Little Rock, AR | 64,444 | 91 | 0.9x |
Benton, AR | 34,746 | 93 | 1.0x |
Sherwood, AR | 32,544 | 93 | 1.0x |
Jacksonville, AR | 29,385 | 90 | 0.9x |
Bryant, AR | 20,399 | 95 | 1.0x |
Maumelle, AR | 19,070 | 102 | 1.1x |
East End, AR | 6,432 | 87 | 0.9x |