Malvern is #1 in Arkansas for affordable rent
Malvern is ranked on 37 lists against the 127 Arkansas towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 2 and the top quarter on 5.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every AR town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Malvern marked.
Fewer homes per newcomer than 98% of Arkansas
Not better or worse, just Malvern’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Malvern lands in the top half on 7 of 23 lists
Each dot is Malvern’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in AR, the right end is last. Areas where Malvern does best come first.
Every AR list, and where Malvern lands
38 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 North Crossett · 1.2 yrs
#20
Cheapest rent#1 Mountain View · $396/mo
#35
Lowest property tax#1 Brinkley · $393/yr
#20
Rent easiest to afford#1 Malvern · 26.6%
#1 Health
Healthiest#1 Cave Springs · 90 / 100
#88
Lowest obesity#1 Bentonville · 32%
#64
Fewest smokers#1 Bella Vista · 10%
#102
Most active#1 Cave Springs · 18%
#84
Fewest uninsured#1 Cave Springs · 6%
#81
Lowest depression#1 Hot Springs Village · 20%
#8
Closest to a top hospital#1 Paris · 0.5 mi
#96 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Clarksville · 14.5%
#67
Most trails#1 Horseshoe Bend · 3.7 mi / sq mi
#62
Most walkable#1 DeWitt · 94.3 / sq mi
#19 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Nashville · 12.5 min
#64 
People
Most educated#1 Bentonville · 55.3%
#106
Youngest#1 Arkadelphia · 23.4
#93
Oldest#1 Hot Springs Village · 69.6
#35
Most residents 65+#1 Hot Springs Village · 60.3%
#35
Most kids#1 Alma · 35.7%
#105 
The number on the right is Malvern’s spot. All of Arkansas’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every AR list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.