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Place dossier plate
SheetAR-NORTH-LITTLE-ROCK-AR · North Little Rock, AR 64,504 pop · income 21st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around North Little Rock
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest North Little Rock on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Pine Bluff · lowest
41,250
Pine Bluff · lowest
41,250 median HH income
29.6% of the leader · rank #1
Clover · near
51,226
Clover · near
51,226 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #2
Chillicothe · near
51,231
Chillicothe · near
51,231 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #3
North Little… · this city
51,236
North Little… · this city
51,236 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #4
Corsicana · near
51,240
Corsicana · near
51,240 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #5
Paducah · near
51,243
Paducah · near
51,243 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #6
Brentwood · highest
139,567
Brentwood · highest
139,567 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for North Little Rock on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 64,504.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
North Little Rock - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, North Little Rock lands in the 21st percentile for household income and the 3rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
21st
percentile, household income
33rd
percentile, home value
3rd
percentile, median rent
3rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: North Little Rock, AR
North Little Rock is a small city in Arkansas, home to 64,504 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in North Little Rock brings in $51,236 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.2%. North Little Rock's housing stock carries a median value of $169,500, and the median resident age is 36.7 years. 30.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 175 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 60% from five years earlier. North Little Rock's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 5492.6 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Arkansas scores 86.9 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $944 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $210 across Arkansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 18.8 minutes, with 78.8% driving alone and 7.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 55.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of North Little Rock's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to reported crime to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For North Little Rock, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for North Little Rock?
The NCES join finds 23 public schools within the city match. 30.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What can the FBI record say about safety in North Little Rock?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 5492.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 141% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
How far does income reach against housing in North Little Rock?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Which cities make useful reference points for North Little Rock?
Within Arkansas, the closest population matches are Conway (66,288 residents, $58,461 income); Rogers (71,411 residents, $82,993 income); Bentonville (56,326 residents, $108,465 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are South San Francisco, CA (64,487 residents); Utica, NY (64,440 residents); Brentwood, CA (64,609 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is North Little Rock growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +442 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 175 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.7%
2025 estimate
65,120
2020 estimate
64,678
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in North Little Rock?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.8 minutes.
Public transit
1.7%
Work from home
7.7%
Drive alone
78.8%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 30,787 workers age 16+.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
86.9 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share C
30.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$51,236
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
17.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
1,180 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
North Little Rock profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 97/100 (A+) · 86.9 index
Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.1%
Household income: 22/100 (F) · $51,236
Poverty rate: 19/100 (F) · 17.2%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,180 /100k
Where North Little Rock sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
North Little Rock's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - North Little Rock highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
North Little Rock, AR (this city): home $169,500, crime 5,493/100k
South San Francisco, CA : home $1,160,100, crime 1,859/100k
Utica, NY : home $133,400, crime 3,477/100k
Brentwood, CA : home $791,600, crime 2,632/100k
Commerce City, CO : home $463,200, crime 3,663/100k
Bellevue, NE : home $230,800, crime 1,231/100k
Burnsville, MN : home $335,100, crime 2,098/100k
Conway, AR : home $234,600, crime 2,571/100k
Rogers, AR : home $278,000, crime 1,616/100k
Bentonville, AR : home $370,700, crime 1,083/100k
Jonesboro, AR : home $213,400, crime 3,765/100k
Springdale, AR : home $237,200, crime 2,412/100k
Pine Bluff, AR : home $86,400, crime 6,129/100k
How does North Little Rock compare to other US cities?
North Little Rock measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income21% higher than other cities
Home value33% pricier than other cities
Median rent3% pricier than other cities
Safety3% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Arkansas alone, North Little Rock ranks #155 of 160 Arkansas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares North Little Rock against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Arkansas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Arkansas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places North Little Rock near the bottom of Arkansas's cities
Among the 524 Arkansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, North Little Rock ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares North Little Rock only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#213 of 495
57th percentile in Arkansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 524
0th percentile in Arkansas
Median Home Value
#95 of 482
80th percentile in Arkansas
Poverty Rate
#184 of 524
65th percentile in Arkansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#47 of 524
91st percentile in Arkansas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Arkansas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
21st percentile nationally for median household income · 3rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
North Little Rock's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
North Little Rock's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How North Little Rock's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$169,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 67% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
North Little Rock's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,167 of 15,516
More affordable than 47% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#167 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.3×, North Little Rock sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,167 of 15,516 and #167 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$51,236North Little Rock, AR median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context North Little Rock, AR median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for North Little Rock, AR.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)17.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
64,504
Median Income
$51,236
Median Home Value
$169,500
Median Age
36.7
Poverty Rate
17.2%
Labor force participation
60.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
5492.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1180.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
4312.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
23
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
North Little Rock's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
64,678 residents
2021
64,215 residents
2022
64,782 residents
2023
64,824 residents
2024
64,940 residents
2025
65,120 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
175
housing units authorized
Single-Family
171
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
436
106
330
$45.7M
2020
104
87
17
$19.7M
2021
523
178
345
$62.1M
2022
194
181
13
$32.9M
2023
152
122
30
$28.0M
2024
175
171
4
$27.2M
Permit volume decreased 60% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.8 minutes
Drive Alone
78.8%
Carpool
8.4%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
7.7%
Other
2.6%
Based on 30,787 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Arkansas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $210
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Arkansas at $210 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Arkansas statewide averages, not a meter reading for North Little Rock. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Arkansas's BEA cost-of-living index is 86.9 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around North Little Rock is $944/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Arkansas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.5 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Arkansas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county North Little Rock sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How North Little Rock compares to similar-size Arkansas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.