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

CCharlestonSafer than 32% of U.S. towns C−AshdownSafer than 16% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−CharlestonBetter than 84% of districts in the state C+AshdownBetter than 41% of districts in the state

Health

CCharlestonHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns DAshdownHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns

13Charleston

7Ashdown

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest obesityHealth · 127 towns #26#98 Best schoolsSchools · 113 towns #18#82 Lowest depressionHealth · 127 towns #94#23 Most new homesHousing · 118 towns #43#100 Most trailsOutdoors · 89 towns #30#68 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 127 towns #36#87 HealthiestHealth · 126 towns #46#95 Most activeHealth · 127 towns #40#88

Left end = #1 in Arkansas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Charleston’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $210 more a month in Charleston

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.

Down paymentRate%

Charleston$1,110/mo

Typical home $200K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.39% · or rent about $764/mo · Housing →

Ashdown$910/mo

Typical home $162K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.42% · or rent about $683/mo · Housing →

The difference: $210 a month, about $2,500 a year, between Charleston and Ashdown.

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.

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

CharlestonAshdown

Snow a year3″2″

January low—32°F

July high—93°F

Growing season (days)—233d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)42nd 67th

Outdoors & history

CharlestonAshdown

Trails2 mi 2 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Settled1870 1892

National Register places3 7

Archive photos5 6

Famous people born here11 5

Community

CharlestonAshdown

Library hours a week42 hrs 30 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

112 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CharlestonAR AshdownAR

Charleston ↔ Ashdown112 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.

Only big differences vs Arkansas average

CharlestonAshdown

People

Population 2,646Lowest 4,164Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.8%Highest AR: +3.3% -9.8%Lowest AR: +3.3%

Median age 37.6±2.3Highest about the AR average 35.6±2Lowest 8% below AR

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.6%±6.7Highest AR: 23.1% 25.9%±4.2Lowest AR: 23.1%

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 19.6%±5.1Highest AR: 17.6% 19.5%±4.5Lowest AR: 17.6%

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.5%Lowest AR: 25.7% 23.8%Highest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±2.5Lowest AR: 5.1% 3.8%±2.4Highest AR: 5.1%

Ashdown and Charleston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,600±$11kHighest 7% below AR $55,625±$26kLowest 8% below AR

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $156,300±$20kHighest 17% below AR $139,800±$21kLowest 26% below AR

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $764±$151Highest 19% below AR $683±$198Lowest 28% below AR

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $611Highest 41% below AR $592Lowest 43% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.9%±18.7Lowest AR: 44.8% 50.3%±19Highest AR: 44.8%

Ashdown and Charleston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 9.9%Lowest AR: 16% 20.8%Highest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.2%Highest AR: 66.4% 71.6%Lowest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977 10 yrs older than AR 1977 10 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 56% above AR 35 minLowest 54% above AR

Work from home 7.8%±6Highest AR: 8.8% 3.8%±4.4Lowest AR: 8.8%

Charleston and Ashdown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 18.9%Lowest 21%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.62Lowest 0.80Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Fort Smith (34%)Texarkana (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AshdownFew work in Charleston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miHighest 1.5 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 36.4Lowest 48.4Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #18 of 113 in AR #82 of 113 in AR

School district CHARLESTON SCHOOL DISTRICTASHDOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Charleston High SchoolAshdown High School

Students per teacherat that high school 6.4Lowest 7.0Highest

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.

Charleston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Charleston’s Town Square.

Ashdown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ashdown’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Charleston and Ashdown

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Charleston

+ Compare

Redfield1,734 people · $171K homes

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Pottsville3,229 people · $172K homes

+ Compare

Smackover2,419 people · $119K homes

+ Compare

Lamar1,783 people · $162K homes

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.

Charleston vs Ashdown

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Charleston places higher on 13 of 21 AR lists

A typical home costs $210 more a month in Charleston

What daily life feels like in each

112 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Charleston and Ashdown

Towns like Charleston

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