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Lavaca vs Lamar

45 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+68% in Lavaca) and household income (+60% in Lavaca).

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Lavaca, AROne of the safest townsArkansas · 2,489 people
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Lamar, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,783 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.

LavacaOne of the safest towns
SafetySafer than 65%of U.S. towns we grade All about Lavaca →
LamarOne of the healthiest towns
Health80% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Lamar →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Rent+68%
Rent runs higher in Lavaca
Lavaca $923Lamar $548
Household income+60%
Households in Lavaca earn more
Lavaca $80,924Lamar $50,568
Jobs per worker2.8×
Lamar is more of a job hub
Lamar 0.77Lavaca 0.28
Street grid2.2×
Lavaca has the more walkable street grid
Lavaca 51.3Lamar 23.8
Property tax bill+22%
Tax bills are bigger in Lavaca
Lavaca $1,215Lamar $995
Trails+67%
Lamar has more miles of trail
Lamar 0.5 miLavaca 0.3 mi
★ What stands out · 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
B+LavacaSafer than 65% of U.S. towns BLamarSafer than 58% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−LavacaBetter than 53% of districts in the state C+LamarBetter than 41% of districts in the state
Health
C+LavacaHealthier than 45% of U.S. towns C−LamarHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Lavaca$1,220/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $923/mo · Housing →
Lamar$1,140/mo
Typical home $198K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $548/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Lavaca and Lamar.

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
LavacaLamar
Snow a year3″3″
January low30°F29°F
July high94°F92°F
Growing season (days)224d233d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)63rd76th
Outdoors & history
LavacaLamar
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled1919—
National Register places—1
Archive photos11
Famous people born here1—
Community
LavacaLamar
Library hours a week10 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

45 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LavacaARLamarAR
Lavaca ↔ Lamar45 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.

LavacaLamar
People
Population 2,489Highest 1,783Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7%Lowest AR: +3.3% +7.1%Highest AR: +3.3%
Median age 32.3±6.3Lowest 16% below AR 35.5±6.5Highest 8% below AR
Lamar and Lavaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 31.9%±8.5Lowest AR: 23.1% 32.3%±3.6Highest AR: 23.1%
Lamar and Lavaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10%±2.5Lowest AR: 17.6% 15.7%±2.9Highest AR: 17.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.4%Lowest AR: 25.7% 26.4%Highest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.3%±3.7Highest AR: 5.1% 2.1%±1.5Lowest AR: 5.1%
Lavaca and Lamar are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $80,924±$15kHighest 33% above AR $50,568±$10kLowest 17% below AR
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $162,300±$14kHighest 14% below AR $161,700±$14kLowest 14% below AR
Lavaca and Lamar are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $923±$45Highest about the AR average $548±$184Lowest 42% below AR
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,215Highest 17% above AR $995Lowest 4% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.7%±24.2Lowest AR: 44.8% 71.3%±23.9Highest AR: 44.8%
Lamar and Lavaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.9%Lowest AR: 16% 22.7%Highest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.2%Lowest AR: 66.4% 73.8%Highest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1995Highest 8 yrs newer than AR 1993Lowest 6 yrs newer than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 8% above AR 21 minLowest 5% below AR
Work from home 3.8%±2.6Lowest AR: 8.8% 4.8%±3.4Highest AR: 8.8%
Lamar and Lavaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4.3%Lowest 4.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 18.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.28Lowest 0.77Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Fort Smith (47%)Clarksville (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LamarFew work in Lavaca
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.3Highest 23.8Lowest
Schools
School district LAVACA SCHOOL DISTRICTLAMAR SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Lavaca High SchoolLamar High School
Students per teacherat that high school 3.5Lowest 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.

Lavaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lavaca’s Town Square.

Lamar neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lamar’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Lavaca

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Charleston2,646 people · $156K homes
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Ashdown4,164 people · $140K 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.

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