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Compare towns

Brinkley vs Mount Ida

141 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2× in Mount Ida) and street grid (2.2× in Mount Ida).

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Brinkley, ARA history townArkansas · 2,596 people
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Mount Ida, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,376 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BrinkleyA history town
HistorySettled in 185211 places on the National Register Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#24 most conserved land in AR0.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Brinkley →
Mount IdaOne of the healthiest towns
Health90% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 71%of AR districts HistorySettled in 18902 places on the National Register All about Mount Ida →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2×
Tax bills are bigger in Mount Ida
Mount Ida $768Brinkley $393
Street grid2.2×
Mount Ida has the more walkable street grid
Mount Ida 79.0Brinkley 35.3
Growth since 2010+7.9 pts
Mount Ida has grown faster since 2010
Mount Ida -7.4%Brinkley -15.3%
Average commute5 min
Mount Ida has the shorter commute
Brinkley 27 minMount Ida 22 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Mount Ida

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Brinkley$530/mo
Typical home $94K (Census) · tax rate 0.42% · or rent about $608/mo · Housing →
Mount Ida$1,390/mo
Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $576/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,400 a year, between Mount Ida and Brinkley.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Arkansas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
D−BrinkleySafer than 4% of U.S. towns –Mount IdaNot graded
Schools
DBrinkleyBetter than 5% of districts in the state B+Mount IdaBetter than 71% of districts in the state
Health
D−BrinkleyHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns DMount IdaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BrinkleyMount Ida
Snow a year3″3″
January low31°F—
July high90°F—
Growing season (days)237d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th67th
Outdoors & history
BrinkleyMount Ida
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land1.9%—
Settled18521890
National Register places112
Archive photos2413
Famous people born here10—
Community
BrinkleyMount Ida
Library hours a week—34 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

141 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrinkleyARMount IdaAR
Brinkley ↔ Mount Ida141 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BrinkleyMount Ida
People
Population 2,596Highest 1,376Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -15.3%Lowest AR: +3.3% -7.4%Highest AR: +3.3%
Median age 49.1±4.8Highest 28% above AR 47.8±11.8Lowest 24% above AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.8%±6.1Lowest AR: 23.1% 20.4%±5.9Highest AR: 23.1%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25%±6.5Lowest AR: 17.6% 31.4%±6.6Highest AR: 17.6%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Highest AR: 25.7% 12.5%Lowest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.7%±2.7Highest AR: 5.1% 5.2%±3.7Lowest AR: 5.1%
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $38,996±$7kHighest 36% below AR $37,045±$11kLowest 39% below AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $94,000±$5kLowest 50% below AR $140,900±$62kHighest 25% below AR
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $608±$77Highest 36% below AR $576±$148Lowest 39% below AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $393Lowest 62% below AR $768Highest 26% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.8%±6.8Lowest AR: 44.8% 66.8%±10.6Highest AR: 44.8%
Below poverty line 25.7%Lowest AR: 16% 32.6%Highest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.9%Highest AR: 66.4% 56%Lowest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 12 yrs older than AR 1979Highest 8 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 22% above AR 22 minLowest about the AR average
Work from home 2.7%±3.9Lowest AR: 8.8% 6.9%±8.9Highest AR: 8.8%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 24.3%Highest 20.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 24.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.09Lowest 1.41Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Little Rock (8%)Hot Springs (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Mount IdaFew work in Brinkley
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 1.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.3Lowest 79.0Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #108 of 113 in AR—
School district BRINKLEY SCHOOL DISTRICTMOUNT IDA SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Brinkley High SchoolMount Ida High School
Students per teacherat that high school 3.3Lowest 5.0Highest
Arkansas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Brinkley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brinkley’s Town Square.

Mount Ida neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mount Ida’s Town Square.

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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