What it's like to live in Blytheville
Blytheville 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 schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Blytheville deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Blytheville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Blytheville
Based on Blytheville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,710
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,200 a year
- 51% of Blytheville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,900
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$855/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $855 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 $119,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $119,000 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Mississippi County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Mississippi County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 256% above US
1171 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3572/100k · Blytheville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 40% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 32°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, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 54% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (15 miles away).
Bottom line
Blytheville'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($855/mo) equals 21% 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.
Other places near Blytheville
All Arkansas guides →Moving to Paragould →
35 mi away · pop. 30,215
Rent $925/mo · Income $56,980
Compare with Blytheville →Moving to Jonesboro →
44 mi away · pop. 80,137
Rent $956/mo · Income $55,424
Compare with Blytheville →Moving to West Memphis →
56 mi away · pop. 23,929
Rent $870/mo · Income $42,674
Compare with Blytheville →Not sure Blytheville is the one?
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