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

C−OzarkSafer than 18% of U.S. towns C−WaldronSafer than 15% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−OzarkBetter than 82% of districts in the state C+WaldronBetter than 38% of districts in the state

Health

DOzarkHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns DWaldronHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns

14Ozark

7Waldron

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 115 towns #2#79 Most conserved landOutdoors · 107 towns #10#58 Most new homesHousing · 118 towns #65#113 Best schoolsSchools · 113 towns #37#79 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 127 towns #63#109 Most walkableOutdoors · 127 towns #112#71 Lowest depressionHealth · 127 towns #112#72 Highest incomeIncome · 127 towns #89#123

Left end = #1 in Arkansas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Ozark’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%

Ozark$970/mo

Typical home $174K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.41% · or rent about $721/mo · Housing →

Waldron$890/mo

Typical home $158K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.51% · or rent about $704/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $900 a year, between Ozark and Waldron.

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

OzarkWaldron

Snow a year1″3″

January low—28°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—203d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th 59th

Outdoors & history

OzarkWaldron

Trails2 mi 0 mi

Conserved land5.5%0.9%

Settled—1845

National Register places7 7

Archive photos18 11

Famous people born here5 6

Community

OzarkWaldron

Library hours a week42 hrs 29 hrs

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

44 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OzarkAR WaldronAR

Ozark ↔ Waldron44 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

OzarkWaldron

People

Population 3,551Highest 3,344Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.9%Highest AR: +3.3% -6.4%Lowest AR: +3.3%

Median age 35.9±7Lowest 7% below AR 39.2±3Highest about the AR average

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

Kids under 18 17.7%±5.8Lowest AR: 23.1% 18.8%±5.3Highest AR: 23.1%

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

Age 65+ 18.1%±5.2Highest AR: 17.6% 13.6%±4Lowest AR: 17.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.4%Highest AR: 25.7% 7.8%Lowest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±1.9Highest AR: 5.1% 2%±2.1Lowest AR: 5.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,686±$10kHighest 22% below AR $33,839±$18kLowest 44% below AR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $124,000±$22kHighest 34% below AR $105,300±$32kLowest 44% below AR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $721±$40Highest 24% below AR $704±$132Lowest 26% below AR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $514Lowest 51% below AR $535Highest 49% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.6%±14.7Lowest AR: 44.8% 53.1%±15.2Highest AR: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 17.8%Lowest AR: 16% 19.4%Highest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 55.6%Lowest AR: 66.4% 60.4%Highest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest 6 yrs older than AR 1978Lowest 9 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 27% below AR 19 minHighest 15% below AR

Work from home 1.8%±2.7Highest AR: 8.8% 0%±1Lowest AR: 8.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 30%Lowest 39.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 28.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.10Highest 2.05Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fort Smith (14%)Fort Smith (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WaldronFew work in Ozark

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.5%Highest 0.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 24.3Lowest 40.5Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #37 of 113 in AR #79 of 113 in AR

School district OZARK SCHOOL DISTRICTWALDRON SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Ozark Jr. Sr. High SchoolWaldron High School

Students per teacherat that high school 9.7Highest 8.8Lowest

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.

Ozark neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ozark’s Town Square.

Waldron neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waldron’s Town Square.

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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.

Ozark vs Waldron

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Ozark places higher on 14 of 21 AR lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

44 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Ozark

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