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Malvern vs Perla

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (77.7× in Malvern) and street grid (3.6× in Malvern).

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Malvern, ARAn outdoors townArkansas · 10,953 people

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Perla, ARA small town of 141Arkansas · 141 people

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.

MalvernAn outdoors town

Outdoors#19 most walkable in AR2.3 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves Health92% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$146K typical home36% below the AR typical home All about Malvern →

PerlaA small town of 141

Quiet strengthsPerla doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Perla →

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.

Malvern is the bigger place

Malvern 10,953Perla 141

Street grid3.6×

Malvern has the more walkable street grid

Malvern 63.4Perla 17.8

Malvern has more miles of trail

Malvern 2.3 miPerla 0.7 mi

Property tax bill+55%

Tax bills are bigger in Malvern

Malvern $541Perla $350

Work in town+21.6 pts

More of Malvern’s workers stay in town

Malvern 23.4%Perla 1.8%

Average commute8 min

Perla has the shorter commute

Malvern 22 minPerla 14 min

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Malvern

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%

Malvern$830/mo

Typical home $146K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $764/mo · Housing →

Perla$490/mo

Typical home $88K (Census) · tax rate 0.40% · or rent about $665/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,100 a year, between Malvern and Perla.

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.

Where they are

Malvern and Perla share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

MalvernPerla

Malvern ↔ Perla2.6 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

29 Perla residents work in Malvern (26.6% of its workers)

Work & commute in Perla →

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

DMalvernSafer than 9% of U.S. towns –PerlaNot graded

Schools

C−MalvernBetter than 23% of districts in the state –PerlaNot graded

Health

DMalvernHealthier than 8% of U.S. towns –PerlaNot graded

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

MalvernPerla

Snow a year1″1″

January low29°F 29°F

July high92°F 92°F

Growing season (days)220d 220d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)58th 56th

Outdoors & history

MalvernPerla

Trails2 mi —

Conserved land0.7%—

National Register places14 —

Archive photos—1

Community

MalvernPerla

Library hours a week43 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

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.

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

MalvernPerla

People

Population 10,953Highest 141Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.3% AR: +3.3% —

Median age 39.4±1.9Highest about the AR average 32.5±26.4Lowest 16% below AR

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

Kids under 18 20%±3.4Lowest AR: 23.1% 31.2%±21.7Highest AR: 23.1%

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

Age 65+ 18.6%±3.1Highest AR: 17.6% 16.3%±23.6Lowest AR: 17.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.9%Highest AR: 25.7% 7.2%Lowest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±1.4Highest AR: 5.1% 2.1%±5.9Lowest AR: 5.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $46,250±$14kLowest 24% below AR $47,500±$30kHighest 22% below AR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $104,500±$17kHighest 44% below AR $87,500±$26kLowest 53% below AR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $764±$43Highest 19% below AR $665±$264Lowest 30% below AR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $541Highest 48% below AR $350Lowest 66% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26.6%±10.2Lowest AR: 44.8% 39.1%±61.8Highest AR: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 20.2%Lowest AR: 16% 34.8%Highest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 50.2%Highest AR: 66.4% 48%Lowest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 18 yrs older than AR 1980Highest 7 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 4% below AR 14 minLowest 40% below AR

Work from home 4.2%±3Lowest AR: 8.8% 4.8%±9Highest AR: 8.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 23.4%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.09Lowest 1.14Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Little Rock (13%)Malvern (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Perla27% work in Malvern

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.7%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 63.4Highest 17.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #99 of 113 in AR—

School district ASU THREE RIVERS CAREER CENTER · MALVERN SCHOOL DISTRICT—

High school in town Malvern High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 8.6 —

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.

Malvern neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Malvern’s Town Square.

Perla neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Perla’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Malvern and Perla

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

Bordering Malvern

Rockport800 people · $140K homes

Towns like Malvern

Blytheville12,790 people · $119K homes

Trumann7,410 people · $112K homes

Stuttgart7,903 people · $153K homes

Harrison13,350 people · $170K 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.