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

DLonokeSafer than 10% of U.S. towns C−MenaSafer than 16% of U.S. towns

Schools

CLonokeBetter than 32% of districts in the state B+MenaBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

DLonokeHealthier than 15% of U.S. towns C−MenaHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns

8Lonoke

12Mena

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 115 towns #101#29 Shortest commuteGetting around · 127 towns #84#11 Lowest property taxCost of living · 127 towns #78#24 Most new homesHousing · 118 towns #48#98 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 127 towns #43#83 Best schoolsSchools · 113 towns #78#45 Most educatedPeople · 127 towns #107#75 Most conserved landOutdoors · 107 towns #41#64

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

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.

Down paymentRate%

Lonoke$1,240/mo

Typical home $205K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $757/mo · Housing →

Mena$1,130/mo

Typical home $202K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.43% · or rent about $639/mo · Housing →

The difference: $110 a month, about $1,300 a year, between Lonoke and Mena.

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

LonokeMena

Snow a year3″4″

January low31°F 28°F

July high90°F 90°F

Growing season (days)235d 208d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)70th 51st

Outdoors & history

LonokeMena

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.3%0.8%

Settled1872 1896

National Register places19 11

Archive photos11 12

Famous people born here14 10

Community

LonokeMena

Library hours a week—42 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

133 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LonokeAR MenaAR

Lonoke ↔ Mena133 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

LonokeMena

People

Population 4,267Lowest 5,582Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.7%Highest AR: +3.3% -2.6%Lowest AR: +3.3%

Median age 43.1±5.7Highest 12% above AR 42.7±7.1Lowest 11% above AR

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

Kids under 18 21.6%±6.2Highest AR: 23.1% 18.7%±4.2Lowest AR: 23.1%

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

Age 65+ 19.2%±4.1Lowest AR: 17.6% 20.9%±3.8Highest AR: 17.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.9%Lowest AR: 25.7% 18.4%Highest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±1.1Lowest AR: 5.1% 2.3%±1.6Highest AR: 5.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,524±$3kHighest 22% below AR $47,428±$8kLowest 22% below AR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $106,800±$32kLowest 43% below AR $132,900±$19kHighest 29% below AR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $757±$252Highest 20% below AR $639±$118Lowest 33% below AR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,013Highest about the AR average $569Lowest 45% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 22.8%±10.4Lowest AR: 44.8% 26.9%±10.4Highest AR: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 18.2%Highest AR: 16% 13.9%Lowest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 75.8%Highest AR: 66.4% 67.5%Lowest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 4 yrs older than AR 1980Lowest 7 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 4% above AR 16 minLowest 30% below AR

Work from home 4.4%±3.3Highest AR: 8.8% 2.4%±2.2Lowest AR: 8.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.2%Lowest 46.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miHighest 3.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.06Lowest 1.94Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Little Rock (25%)Fort Smith (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MenaFew work in Lonoke

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miLowest 1.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 65.8Lowest 66.9Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #78 of 113 in AR #45 of 113 in AR

School district LONOKE SCHOOL DISTRICTUA RICH MOUNTAIN TECHNICAL CENTER · MENA SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Lonoke High SchoolMena High School

Students per teacherat that high school 8.6Highest 6.7Lowest

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.

Lonoke neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lonoke’s Town Square.

Mena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mena’s Town Square.

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Towns like Lonoke

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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.

Lonoke vs Mena

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Mena places higher on 12 of 21 AR lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

133 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Lonoke

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