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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Arkansas

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Arkansas from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 5 metro areas.

86.9
Statewide RPP
#51
of 51 states by cost
58.2
Rents RPP
5
Metro areas

The verdict

Arkansas costs less than 99% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 86.9, 13.1% below the national average.

86.9
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#51
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 1%
nationally, among all states
58.2
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $115,026 when earned in Arkansas.

Reading the Arkansas Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Arkansas's statewide Regional Price Parity at 86.9 for the 2024 data year, 13.1% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 58.2. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Arkansas captures 5 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR leads on cost at 91.4, while Hot Springs, AR sits at the opposite end at 85.7 — a gap of 5.6 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 93.6, for services 74.7, and for rents 58.2 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Arkansas's statewide index has held steady within 1.2 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $115,026 of national buying power when earned inside Arkansas, and a household relocating here would need roughly $86,937 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

86.9
Overall
93.6
Goods
74.7
Services
58.2
Rents

Arkansas vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

87 Top 99% higher than 1% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). This entry sits in this band. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Above this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Arkansas → Cheapest in Arkansas →

Metro areas in Arkansas, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 91.4 93.6 75.1 76.9
2 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 89.4 93.6 74.6 68.3
3 Fort Smith 85.9 93.6 73.8 53.4
4 Jonesboro 85.9 93.6 75.0 53.8
5 Hot Springs 85.7 93.6 74.3 57.3

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 88.1
2009 86.4
2010 88.6
2011 89.4
2012 89.4
2013 89.5
2014 89.4
2015 89.0
2016 89.3
2017 88.6
2018 87.1
2019 87.7
2020 88.2
2021 88.9
2022 86.9
2023 86.8
2024 86.9

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Arkansas? ▼
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 86.9, meaning it is 13.1% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.6, services at 74.7, and rents at 58.2.
What salary in Arkansas equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $86,937 in Arkansas. Conversely, $100K earned in Arkansas has the purchasing power of $115,026 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Arkansas? ▼
Rents in Arkansas are indexed at 58.2, which is 41.8% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Arkansas? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Arkansas is Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR with an RPP of 91.4. The most affordable is Hot Springs, AR at 85.7. There are 5 metro areas in Arkansas with BEA price data.
Is Arkansas getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Arkansas's overall cost index changed by -1.2 points (from 88.1 to 86.9). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.