Little Rock, AR — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Arkansas·Little Rock

Pulaski County · Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway · population 204,774

First-time buyers
Little Rock, AR
Image: Wikipedia · Little Rock, Arkansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Little Rock stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $216,863
1-year +2.8%
5-yr CAGR +4.2%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$217k$139k$168k$197k$226k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
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
$1,195/mo$892$1,079$1,267202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent123126100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.1
Lean buy

At a 15.1 price-to-rent ratio, Little Rock 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
64 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
60 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
50 · w16%
Rent YoY
60 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
49 · w10%
Long thesis

Little Rock has held up across the cycle: home values at $216,863 with +4.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Little Rock'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 Little Rock

Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, with an estimated population of 204,774. It anchors the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metro area. The median home value in Little Rock is $216,863 as of 2026-04, up 2.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Little Rock average $1,195 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.2%). The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $216,863 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +2.8% 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 Little Rock (Wikipedia)

Little Rock is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 202,591 at the 2020 census, while the Little Rock metropolitan area with an estimated 770,000 residents is the 81st-most populous metropolitan area in the United States. The city lies on the south bank of the Arkansas River close to the state's geographic center in central Arkansas. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.

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

City facts

MayorFrank Scott Jr.
Area123.00 sq mi
Elevation279 ft
FoundedJune 1, 1821
Density1687.60/sq mi
Named forThe Little Rock

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 Pulaski County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Little Rock

30 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Heights$706,618+1.4%
2River Mountain$387,888+3.9%
3Rock Creek$357,209+2.4%
4Riverdale$333,670-8.5%
5Hillcrest$299,623-0.9%
6Midtown$273,890+3.1%
7Reservoir$255,541+1.7%
8Sandpiper West$252,505+3.2%
9Downtown CBD$249,939-6.2%
10Otter Creek Crystal$244,969+2.1%
11Sandpiper$226,173+2.8%
12Walnut Valley$212,593+4.7%
13Briarwood$210,407+2.9%
14Capitol View-Stifft Station$199,645-0.8%
15Westwood-Pecan Lake$191,375+1.9%
16West Markham$178,575+1.3%
17Downtown Neighborhood$171,231+5.7%
18Chicot West I-30 So.$156,546+7.5%
19South Geyer Springs$149,709+6.1%
20Boyle Park$141,740+1.6%
21John Barrow$135,884+7.7%
22Cloverdale Watson$119,206+2.8%
23Central High$118,958+8.7%
2465th St. West$113,265+0.4%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Little Rock

Fort Smith, AR67 · RisingNorth Little Rock, AR60 · StableJonesboro, AR69 · RisingRussellville, AR69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Little Rock

ToolCan I afford Little Rock?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Little Rock rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Little Rock to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLittle Rock 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 Little Rock 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 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 Little Rock

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Arkansas cities →    Browse best-of lists →