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Place dossier plate
SheetAR-VAN-BUREN-AR · Van Buren, AR 23,545 pop · income 34th pct · 15 tracts
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 Van Buren
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Van Buren on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
West Memphis · lowest
41,860
West Memphis · lowest
41,860 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #1
Avery · near
59,417
Avery · near
59,417 median HH income
43.1% of the leader · rank #2
Como · near
59,417
Como · near
59,417 median HH income
43.1% of the leader · rank #3
Jette · near
59,417
Jette · near
59,417 median HH income
43.1% of the leader · rank #4
Van Buren · this city
59,420
Van Buren · this city
59,420 median HH income
43.1% of the leader · rank #5
Berlin · near
59,423
Berlin · near
59,423 median HH income
43.1% of the leader · rank #6
Kenmore · highest
137,926
Kenmore · highest
137,926 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 Van Buren 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: 23,545.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Van Buren - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Van Buren lands in the 34th percentile for household income and the 22nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
34th
percentile, household income
36th
percentile, home value
3rd
percentile, median rent
22nd
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: Van Buren, AR
Arkansas's Van Buren is a small city, with 23,545 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $59,420 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.6%. Typical homes in Van Buren are valued around $178,000, and the median resident age is 35.8 years. Educational attainment runs 19.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 55.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 29 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 68% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2519.8 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Arkansas at 86.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $944 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Arkansas run around $210, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 55.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Van Buren'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 housing and income to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime to within-city variation to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Van Buren, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Van Buren?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.6%, 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.
What does the education layer cover for Van Buren?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 19.8% 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 matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Which cities make useful reference points for Van Buren?
Within Arkansas, the closest population matches are Searcy (23,115 residents, $50,896 income); West Memphis (24,147 residents, $41,860 income); Bryant (21,125 residents, $83,219 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Eustis, FL (23,567 residents); Muscatine, IA (23,567 residents); East San Gabriel, CA (23,521 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.
What can 15 Census tracts reveal inside Van Buren?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 15 Census tracts to this city.
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 Van Buren growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,316 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +5.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 29 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
+5.7%
2025 estimate
24,556
2020 estimate
23,240
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Van Buren?
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 2519.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 10% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2045.3
Violent rate
474.5
Total reported rate
2519.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Van Buren?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 85.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
3.3%
Drive alone
85.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 9,726 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 10.6% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
86.9 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average
D
City profile score · Van Buren, AR
44/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
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.
Poverty rate F
10.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$59,420
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
19.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
475 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Van Buren profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 97/100 (A+) · 86.9 index
Poverty rate: 37/100 (F) · 10.6%
Household income: 34/100 (F) · $59,420
Bachelor's+ share: 34/100 (F) · 19.8%
Violent crime: 18/100 (F) · 475 /100k
Where Van Buren sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Van Buren'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 - Van Buren highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Van Buren, AR (this city): home $178,000, crime 2,520/100k
Muscatine, IA : home $146,900, crime 1,474/100k
Kenmore, WA : home $869,800, crime 1,072/100k
Clinton, UT : home $412,200, crime 859/100k
Searcy, AR : home $176,200, crime 2,667/100k
West Memphis, AR : home $119,100, crime 6,580/100k
Bryant, AR : home $223,400, crime 2,233/100k
Cabot, AR : home $197,000, crime 1,668/100k
Centerton, AR : home $295,500, crime 385/100k
Maumelle, AR : home $276,900, crime 1,296/100k
How does Van Buren compare to other US cities?
Where Van Buren sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income34% higher than other cities
Home value36% pricier than other cities
Median rent3% pricier than other cities
Safety22% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Arkansas, Van Buren ranks #112 of 160 Arkansas cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Van Buren 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 Van Buren near the bottom of Arkansas's cities
Among the 524 Arkansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Van Buren ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Van Buren only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#148 of 495
70th percentile in Arkansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 524
0th percentile in Arkansas
Median Home Value
#80 of 482
83rd percentile in Arkansas
Poverty Rate
#308 of 524
41st percentile in Arkansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#132 of 524
75th 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
34th percentile nationally for median household income · 22nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Van Buren's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Van Buren'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 Van Buren's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$178,000Among the most affordablemore affordable than 64% 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
Van Buren's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,666 of 15,516
More affordable than 57% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#896 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.0×, Van Buren sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,666 of 15,516 and #896 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
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
$59,420Van Buren, AR median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Van Buren, 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 Van Buren, AR.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)19.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)55.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
23,545
Median Income
$59,420
Median Home Value
$178,000
Median Age
35.8
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Labor force participation
55.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2519.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
474.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2045.3
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
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Van Buren's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
23,240 residents
2021
23,408 residents
2022
23,721 residents
2023
24,061 residents
2024
24,401 residents
2025
24,556 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
29
housing units authorized
Single-Family
25
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
90
68
22
$9.8M
2020
95
71
24
$14.3M
2021
110
90
20
$16.7M
2022
91
78
13
$16.7M
2023
128
48
80
$19.9M
2024
29
25
4
$7.8M
Permit volume decreased 68% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
85.1%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
3.3%
Other
0.8%
Based on 9,726 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 Van Buren. 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Van Buren 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.