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

All states·Arkansas·Jonesboro

Craighead County · Jonesboro · population 82,384

First-time buyers
Jonesboro, AR
Image: Wikipedia · Jonesboro, Arkansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Jonesboro stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $225,577
1-year +3.7%
5-yr CAGR +4.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +1.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$226k$131k$166k$200k$235k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
30/100
Very 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
85/100
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
$1,370/mo$1,035$1,247$1,459202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent127124100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.7
Buy

At a 13.7 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Jonesboro on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.7 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
69 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
64 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
68 · w16%
Rent YoY
58 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
60 · w10%
Long thesis

Jonesboro has held up across the cycle: home values at $225,577 with +4.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Jonesboro'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 Jonesboro

Jonesboro is a city in Craighead County, Arkansas, with an estimated population of 82,384. The population grew 1.2% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Jonesboro is $225,577 as of 2026-04, up 3.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Jonesboro average $1,370 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.0%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $225,577 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +3.7% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.2% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●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 Jonesboro (Wikipedia)

Jonesboro is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern part of the state, it is one of two county seats of Craighead County. The population was 78,579 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 84,155 in 2026, making it the fifth-most populous city in Arkansas. In 2024, the Jonesboro metropolitan area had a population of 138,152, and the greater Jonesboro-Paragould combined statistical area had a population of 184,749. Jonesboro is the home of Arkansas State University and is the cultural and economic center of Northeast Arkansas.

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

City facts

MayorHarold Copenhaver
Area80.73 sq mi
Elevation276 ft
EstablishedFebruary 19, 1859
Motto"People, Pride, Progress"
Densityauto/sq mi

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 Craighead County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Jonesboro

33 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Ridgepointe$638,476+4.9%
2Duckswater$411,758+0.5%
3Oak Forrest$356,046+5.5%
4Sagemeadows$344,639+5.0%
5Melton$324,929+2.2%
6Bridger$309,002+5.5%
7Indian Trails$295,509+4.7%
8Valley View$294,175+4.3%
9Twin Oaks$292,176-0.2%
10Mardis$283,106+3.0%
11Friendly Hope$281,982+2.4%
12Greenbriar$281,631+0.8%
13Craighead Forest$264,110+3.9%
14McArthur Park$254,039+2.8%
15Philadelphia$236,232+7.9%
16Candlewood$233,751+4.0%
17Farville$229,161+3.3%
18Prospect$223,713+2.0%
19Frogpond$214,407+2.6%
20Southside$199,724+5.7%
21East End$197,286+3.8%
22Jonesboro High$195,966+0.4%
23Brookhaven$172,697+1.8%
24Scenic Hills$167,886+1.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Jonesboro

Fort Smith, AR67 · RisingSherwood, AR70 · RisingBenton, AR69 · RisingBryant, AR72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Jonesboro

ToolCan I afford Jonesboro?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Jonesboro rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Jonesboro to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolJonesboro 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 Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro

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