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Compare towns

Mount Ida vs Brinkley

141 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2× in Mount Ida) and street grid (2.2× in Mount Ida).

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Mount Ida, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,376 people
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Brinkley, ARA history townArkansas · 2,596 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.

Mount IdaOne of the healthiest towns
Health90% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 71%of AR districts HistorySettled in 18902 places on the National Register All about Mount Ida →
BrinkleyA history town
HistorySettled in 185211 places on the National Register Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#24 most conserved land in AR0.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Brinkley →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Property tax bill2×
Tax bills are bigger in Mount Ida
Mount Ida $768Brinkley $393
Street grid2.2×
Mount Ida has the more walkable street grid
Mount Ida 79.0Brinkley 35.3
Growth since 2010+7.9 pts
Mount Ida has grown faster since 2010
Mount Ida -7.4%Brinkley -15.3%
Average commute5 min
Mount Ida has the shorter commute
Brinkley 27 minMount Ida 22 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Mount Ida

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.

Mount Ida$1,390/mo
Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $576/mo · Housing →
Brinkley$530/mo
Typical home $94K (Census) · tax rate 0.42% · or rent about $608/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,400 a year, between Mount Ida and Brinkley.

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.

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
–Mount IdaNot graded D−BrinkleySafer than 4% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+Mount IdaBetter than 71% of districts in the state DBrinkleyBetter than 5% of districts in the state
Health
DMount IdaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns D−BrinkleyHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns
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
Mount IdaBrinkley
Snow a year3″3″
January low—31°F
July high—90°F
Growing season (days)—237d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)67th77th
Outdoors & history
Mount IdaBrinkley
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—1.9%
Settled18901852
National Register places211
Archive photos1324
Famous people born here—10
Community
Mount IdaBrinkley
Library hours a week34 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

141 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mount IdaARBrinkleyAR
Mount Ida ↔ Brinkley141 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.

Mount IdaBrinkley
People
Population 1,376Lowest 2,596Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -7.4%Highest AR: +3.3% -15.3%Lowest AR: +3.3%
Median age 47.8±11.8Lowest 24% above AR 49.1±4.8Highest 28% above AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.4%±5.9Highest AR: 23.1% 19.8%±6.1Lowest AR: 23.1%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 31.4%±6.6Highest AR: 17.6% 25%±6.5Lowest AR: 17.6%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.5%Lowest AR: 25.7% 14%Highest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±3.7Lowest AR: 5.1% 5.7%±2.7Highest AR: 5.1%
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $37,045±$11kLowest 39% below AR $38,996±$7kHighest 36% below AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $140,900±$62kHighest 25% below AR $94,000±$5kLowest 50% below AR
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $576±$148Lowest 39% below AR $608±$77Highest 36% below AR
Brinkley and Mount Ida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $768Highest 26% below AR $393Lowest 62% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 66.8%±10.6Highest AR: 44.8% 32.8%±6.8Lowest AR: 44.8%
Below poverty line 32.6%Highest AR: 16% 25.7%Lowest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56%Lowest AR: 66.4% 58.9%Highest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 8 yrs older than AR 1975Lowest 12 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest about the AR average 27 minHighest 22% above AR
Work from home 6.9%±8.9Highest AR: 8.8% 2.7%±3.9Lowest AR: 8.8%
Mount Ida and Brinkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 20.4%Lowest 24.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miLowest 32.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.41Highest 1.09Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Hot Springs (14%)Little Rock (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrinkleyFew work in Mount Ida
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 1.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.0Highest 35.3Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#108 of 113 in AR
School district MOUNT IDA SCHOOL DISTRICTBRINKLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Mount Ida High SchoolBrinkley High School
Students per teacherat that high school 5.0Highest 3.3Lowest
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.

Mount Ida neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mount Ida’s Town Square.

Brinkley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brinkley’s Town Square.

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Towns like Mount Ida

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Tuckerman1,442 people · $103K 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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