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Compare towns

Murfreesboro vs Smackover

74 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+65% in Smackover) and conserved land (+36.3 pts in Murfreesboro).

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Murfreesboro, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,819 people
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Smackover, ARHomes around $123KArkansas · 2,419 people
Swap order
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.

MurfreesboroOne of the healthiest towns
Health88% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors36.3% conserved land2.8 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves History12 archive photos & papers4 places on the National Register All about Murfreesboro →
SmackoverHomes around $123K
Housing$123K typical home46% below the AR typical home Health82% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Smackover →
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.

Rent+65%
Rent runs higher in Smackover
Smackover $860Murfreesboro $521
Conserved land+36.3 pts
Murfreesboro has more conserved land
Murfreesboro 36.3%Smackover 0%
Property tax bill+30%
Tax bills are bigger in Smackover
Smackover $685Murfreesboro $527
Work from home+6.4 pts
More people work from home in Smackover
Smackover 6.8%Murfreesboro 0.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Murfreesboro

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.

Murfreesboro$970/mo
Typical home $172K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.44% · or rent about $521/mo · Housing →
Smackover$700/mo
Typical home $123K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $860/mo · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Murfreesboro and Smackover.

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
BMurfreesboroSafer than 57% of U.S. towns –SmackoverNot graded
Schools
BMurfreesboroBetter than 63% of districts in the state C+SmackoverBetter than 44% of districts in the state
Health
DMurfreesboroHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns C−SmackoverHealthier than 18% 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
MurfreesboroSmackover
Snow a year1″1″
January low29°F32°F
July high90°F93°F
Growing season (days)209d235d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th43rd
Outdoors & history
MurfreesboroSmackover
Trails3 mi2 mi
Conserved land36.3%0%
Settled—1922
National Register places42
Archive photos125
Famous people born here33
Community
MurfreesboroSmackover
Library hours a week23 hrs22 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

74 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MurfreesboroARSmackoverAR
Murfreesboro ↔ Smackover74 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.

MurfreesboroSmackover
People
Population 1,819Lowest 2,419Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.9%Highest AR: +3.3% -12.6%Lowest AR: +3.3%
Median age 42±9Highest 9% above AR 39.9±1.9Lowest 4% above AR
Murfreesboro and Smackover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.9%±5.6Lowest AR: 23.1% 26%±6.6Highest AR: 23.1%
Smackover and Murfreesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.1%±4.1Highest AR: 17.6% 21.5%±4.9Lowest AR: 17.6%
Murfreesboro and Smackover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.7%Lowest AR: 25.7% 22.4%Highest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±2.4Lowest AR: 5.1% 4.8%±2.6Highest AR: 5.1%
Smackover and Murfreesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,264±$24kLowest 12% below AR $55,995±$9kHighest 8% below AR
Smackover and Murfreesboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $119,300±$36kHighest 37% below AR $118,600±$12kLowest 37% below AR
Murfreesboro and Smackover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $521±$68Lowest 45% below AR $860±$176Highest 9% below AR
Property taxmedian, yearly $527Lowest 49% below AR $685Highest 34% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43%±46.9Highest AR: 44.8% 42.2%±13.5Lowest AR: 44.8%
Murfreesboro and Smackover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20.7%Lowest AR: 16% 26.6%Highest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.6%Highest AR: 66.4% 65.8%Lowest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 9 yrs older than AR 1980Highest 7 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 5% above AR 20 minLowest 12% below AR
Work from home 0.4%±0.6Lowest AR: 8.8% 6.8%±4.2Highest AR: 8.8%
Work in townworking residents 24%Highest 18.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.16Highest 0.84Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Nashville (12%)El Dorado (28%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SmackoverFew work in Murfreesboro
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 36.3%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.8 miHighest 2.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.5 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.0Highest 37.1Lowest
Schools
School district SOUTH PIKE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTSMACKOVER NORPHLET SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Murfreesboro High SchoolSmackover High School
Students per teacherat that high school 7.4Highest 5.2Lowest
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.

Murfreesboro neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Murfreesboro’s Town Square.

Smackover neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smackover’s Town Square.

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Towns like Murfreesboro

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Corning3,134 people · $90K 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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