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Best Cities for Families in Arkansas

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Arkansas

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Arkansas

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 85.3
Salem, AR
2,727 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 122/100K
Home Affordability $192,000
#2
Score 83
Highfill, AR
1,899 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $229,000
#3
Score 82.6
Bentonville, AR
56,326 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 223/100K
Home Affordability $370,700
#4
Score 82.1
Cave Springs, AR
5,778 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 54/100K
Home Affordability $431,300
#5
Score 81.6
Elm Springs, AR
3,000 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 132/100K
Home Affordability $362,400
#6
Score 81.3
Centerton, AR
20,212 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 320/100K
Home Affordability $295,500
#7
Score 81.3
Bryant, AR
21,125 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 151/100K
Home Affordability $223,400
#8
Score 81.2
Farmington, AR
8,469 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 447/100K
Home Affordability $249,900
#9
Score 81.1
Bella Vista, AR
30,935 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 169/100K
Home Affordability $262,400
#10
Score 80.9
Lowell, AR
10,438 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 288/100K
Home Affordability $260,100
#11
Score 80.9
Tontitown, AR
5,739 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 132/100K
Home Affordability $394,200
#12
Score 80.9
Harrison, AR
13,217 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 381/100K
Home Affordability $165,000

Full Ranking, Arkansas

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Salem AR 85.3
2 Highfill AR 83
3 Bentonville AR 82.6
4 Cave Springs AR 82.1
5 Elm Springs AR 81.6
6 Centerton AR 81.3
7 Bryant AR 81.3
8 Farmington AR 81.2
9 Bella Vista AR 81.1
10 Lowell AR 80.9
11 Tontitown AR 80.9
12 Harrison AR 80.9
13 Gentry AR 80.2
14 Fayetteville AR 80.2
15 Mountain Home AR 80.1
16 Rogers AR 80
17 Siloam Springs AR 79.8
18 Hot Springs Village AR 79.6
19 Gravette AR 79.6
20 Springdale AR 79.5
21 Greenbrier AR 79.3
22 Haskell AR 79.2
23 Calico Rock AR 78.9
24 Plumerville AR 78.9
25 Russellville AR 78.9
26 White Hall AR 78.7
27 Pea Ridge AR 78.6
28 Wooster AR 78.3
29 Benton AR 78.1
30 Ash Flat AR 78
31 West Fork AR 78
32 Austin AR 77.8
33 London AR 77.8
34 Fairfield Bay AR 77.7
35 Dardanelle AR 77.7
36 Horseshoe Bend AR 77.7
37 Mountain View AR 77.6
38 Pottsville AR 77.5
39 Carlisle AR 77.4
40 Marshall AR 77.4
41 Bay AR 77.3
42 Goshen AR 77.2
43 Greenland AR 77
44 Elkins AR 76.9
45 Diaz AR 76.7
46 Avilla AR 76.7
47 Perryville AR 76.6
48 Horatio AR 76.4
49 Johnson AR 76.3
50 Vilonia AR 76.1

Salem, AR tops the list with a composite score of 85.3 out of 100, followed by Highfill and Bentonville. AR dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →