Fayetteville, AR — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Arkansas·Fayetteville

Washington County · Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers · population 103,134

InvestorsGrowing fast
Fayetteville, AR
Image: Wikipedia · Fayetteville, Arkansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
77
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fayetteville stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.1% in the last year. averaging 7.5% annual growth over 5 years. population growing 2.4% per year.

Median home $380,101
1-year +4.1%
5-yr CAGR +7.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +2.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$380k$173k$247k$321k$395k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
84/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,712/mo$1,172$1,496$1,819202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent144137100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.5
Lean buy

At a 18.5 price-to-rent ratio, Fayetteville is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
77 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
84 · w16%
Rent YoY
59 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
77 · w10%
Long thesis

Fayetteville has been growing population at 2.4% per year while home values compounded +7.5% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Fayetteville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Fayetteville

Fayetteville is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, with an estimated population of 103,134. It anchors the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro area. The population has grown 2.4% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Fayetteville is $380,101 as of 2026-04, up 4.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Fayetteville average $1,712 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.2%). The composite momentum score is 77 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.4% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Fayetteville (Wikipedia)

Fayetteville is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States, and its county seat. The population was 93,949 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 106,623 in 2025, making it the second-most populous city in Arkansas and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, within the Ozarks. It is included in the three-county Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area, with 546,725 residents in 2020.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area55.80 sq mi
Elevation1378 ft
Founded1828
MottoRegnat Populus (the people rule)
Density1726.21/sq mi
Named forFayetteville, Tennessee Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafaye

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Washington County right now.

NWS active alerts (AR)Arkansas Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Washington County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Fayetteville

12 tracked · ranked by median home value
1University Heights$690,645+9.8%
2Wilson Park$683,365+12.6%
3Town Mountain South$642,415+4.8%
4Hyland Park$604,057+5.6%
5Copper Creek$583,053+1.9%
6Washington/Willow$537,403+8.9%
7Southwest Sequoyah$505,248+5.5%
8South Rolling Hills$454,288+3.9%
9Sang Valley$393,560+6.9%
10Wyman/Stonebridge$369,688+3.4%
11Jefferson/Walker$291,824+1.3%
12Asbell$281,796+2.3%

Cities like Fayetteville

Springdale, AR75 · RisingRogers, AR78 · HotSearcy, AR70 · RisingBentonville, AR82 · Hot

Run the numbers for Fayetteville

ToolCan I afford Fayetteville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Fayetteville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Fayetteville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolFayetteville cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
49° / 30°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
92° / 70°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
217
~59% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
5″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Fayetteville listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$55,400
Arkansas state median
Top industries (state-level)
Retail (Walmart HQ)ManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Fayetteville

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