What it's like to live in Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia is a small city in Arkansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Arkadelphia deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, a poverty rate above the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Arkadelphia compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Arkadelphia
Based on Arkadelphia's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,628
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $32,560 a year
- 47% of Arkadelphia renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$35,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,930
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 42% below US
$814/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $814 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $179,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $179,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Clark County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Clark County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 13% below US
286 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1534/100k · Arkadelphia Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 33% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.4 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hot Springs National Park (28 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Arkadelphia's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($814/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Arkadelphia
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