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%

Desha$790/mo

Typical home $118K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $632/mo · Housing →

Madison$650/mo

Typical home $120K (Census) · tax rate 0.22% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $140 a month, about $1,700 a year, between Desha and Madison.

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

DeshaMadison

Snow a year2″2″

January low28°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)221d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th 69th

Outdoors & history

DeshaMadison

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—0%

National Register places1 2

Archive photos—18

Community

DeshaMadison

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

73 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DeshaAR MadisonAR

Desha ↔ Madison73 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

DeshaMadison

People

Population 679Highest 476Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -1.3% AR: +3.3%

Median age 60±8.4Highest 56% above AR 56.6±8.3Lowest 47% above AR

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

Kids under 18 6.8%±8.3Lowest AR: 23.1% 10.1%±8.6Highest AR: 23.1%

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

Age 65+ 36.8%±16.5Highest AR: 17.6% 33.4%±6.2Lowest AR: 17.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.9%Lowest AR: 25.7% 22%Highest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±2.7Lowest AR: 5.1% 2.7%±3.8Highest AR: 5.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $68,403±$33kHighest 13% above AR $55,893±$49kLowest 8% below AR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $117,600±$55kLowest 37% below AR $120,400±$25kHighest 36% below AR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $632±$30Lowest 33% below AR $725±$612Highest 23% below AR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly — $265 75% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 79.2%±51.7Highest AR: 44.8% 23.8%±30.1Lowest AR: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 17.1%Lowest AR: 16% 24.2%Highest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Highest AR: 66.4% 71.2%Lowest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 3 yrs older than AR 1982Lowest 5 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 19% below AR 28 minHighest 26% above AR

Work from home 0%±2.9Lowest AR: 8.8% 5.2%±8.8Highest AR: 8.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 15.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.01Lowest 0.04Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Batesville (42%)Forrest City (40%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MadisonFew work in Desha

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 18.2Lowest 25.2Highest

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.

Desha neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Desha’s Town Square.

Madison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Madison’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Desha

+ Compare

Southside4,246 people · $151K homes

Towns like Desha

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Lakeview851 people · $216K homes

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Greers Ferry778 people · $207K homes

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Horseshoe Lake414 people · $102K homes

+ Compare

Grubbs431 people

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.

Desha vs Madison

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

73 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Desha and Madison

Bordering Desha

Towns like Desha

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