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 82.5
Centerton, AR
20,212 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 145/100K
Home Affordability $295,500
#2
Score 82.1
Farmington, AR
8,469 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 245/100K
Home Affordability $249,900
#3
Score 82
Bentonville, AR
56,326 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 259/100K
Home Affordability $370,700
#4
Score 81.8
Cave Springs, AR
5,778 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 96/100K
Home Affordability $431,300
#5
Score 81.3
Highfill, AR
1,899 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 183/100K
Home Affordability $229,000
#6
Score 80.8
Tontitown, AR
5,739 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 129/100K
Home Affordability $394,200
#7
Score 80.8
Bryant, AR
21,125 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 175/100K
Home Affordability $223,400
#8
Score 80.7
Lowell, AR
10,438 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 249/100K
Home Affordability $260,100
#9
Score 80.4
Haskell, AR
4,035 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 143/100K
Home Affordability $158,000
#10
Score 80.4
Harrison, AR
13,217 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 318/100K
Home Affordability $165,000
#11
Score 80.3
Rogers, AR
71,411 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 348/100K
Home Affordability $278,000
#12
Score 80.2
Bella Vista, AR
30,935 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 205/100K
Home Affordability $262,400

Full Ranking, Arkansas

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

1 Centerton AR 82.5
2 Farmington AR 82.1
3 Bentonville AR 82
4 Cave Springs AR 81.8
5 Highfill AR 81.3
6 Tontitown AR 80.8
7 Bryant AR 80.8
8 Lowell AR 80.7
9 Haskell AR 80.4
10 Harrison AR 80.4
11 Rogers AR 80.3
12 Bella Vista AR 80.2
13 Gravette AR 80.1
14 Gentry AR 80.1
15 Pottsville AR 79.9
16 Ash Flat AR 79.5
17 Fayetteville AR 79.5
18 West Fork AR 79.3
19 Russellville AR 79
20 Greenbrier AR 79
21 Mountain Home AR 78.7
22 Fairfield Bay AR 78.6
23 Elkins AR 78.5
24 Dardanelle AR 78.4
25 Benton AR 78.4
26 Gassville AR 78.3
27 Bay AR 78.1
28 Hot Springs Village AR 78
29 Siloam Springs AR 78
30 Greenland AR 77.9
31 Pea Ridge AR 77.9
32 Highland AR 77.7
33 Goshen AR 76.6
34 Tuckerman AR 76.6
35 Perryville AR 76.6
36 Austin AR 76.5
37 White Hall AR 76.5
38 Springdale AR 76.3
39 Vilonia AR 76.2
40 Searcy AR 76.1
41 Plumerville AR 76.1
42 Lavaca AR 75.8
43 Diaz AR 75.5
44 Mountain View AR 75.2
45 Salem AR 75.1
46 Carlisle AR 75.1
47 Barling AR 74.8
48 Johnson AR 74.7
49 Decatur AR 74.5
50 Des Arc AR 74.4

Centerton, AR tops the list with a composite score of 82.5 out of 100, followed by Farmington 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 →