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Rector vs Diaz

69 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (13.6× in Rector) and jobs per worker (2.9× in Diaz).

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Rector, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,750 people
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Diaz, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 1,337 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.

RectorOne of the healthiest towns
Health94% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$142K typical home37% below the AR typical home HistorySettled in 18813 places on the National Register All about Rector →
DiazOne of the healthiest towns
Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$110K typical home51% below the AR typical home All about Diaz →
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.

Street grid13.6×
Rector has the more walkable street grid
Rector 146Diaz 10.8
Jobs per worker2.9×
Diaz is more of a job hub
Diaz 1.30Rector 0.45
Age 65++8.5 pts
Rector has more people 65 and up
Rector 17.6%Diaz 9.1%
Average commute6 min
Diaz has the shorter commute
Rector 25 minDiaz 19 min
Property tax bill+19%
Tax bills are bigger in Diaz
Diaz $509Rector $427
Typical home built13 yrs
Rector’s homes are older
Diaz 1982Rector 1969
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Rector

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.

Rector$800/mo
Typical home $142K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.47% · or rent about $667/mo · Housing →
Diaz$630/mo
Typical home $110K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $869/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,000 a year, between Rector and Diaz.

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.

Schools
C+RectorBetter than 36% of districts in the state –DiazNot graded
Health
DRectorHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns D−DiazHealthier 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
RectorDiaz
Snow a year3″3″
January low28°F30°F
July high90°F89°F
Growing season (days)227d240d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th84th
Outdoors & history
RectorDiaz
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled1881—
National Register places3—
Archive photos61
Famous people born here4—
Community
RectorDiaz
Library hours a week45 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

69 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RectorARDiazAR
Rector ↔ Diaz69 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.

RectorDiaz
People
Population 1,750Highest 1,337Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.8%Highest AR: +3.3% -7.1%Lowest AR: +3.3%
Median age 37.7±3.7Highest about the AR average 36±8.4Lowest 6% below AR
Rector and Diaz are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.1%±4.8Lowest AR: 23.1% 29%±6.3Highest AR: 23.1%
Diaz and Rector are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.6%±3.8Highest AR: 17.6% 9.1%±2.9Lowest AR: 17.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.5%Lowest AR: 25.7% 19.5%Highest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±2.9Highest AR: 5.1% 0.3%±1.1Lowest AR: 5.1%
Rector and Diaz are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $47,760±$10kLowest 21% below AR $49,120±$8kHighest 19% below AR
Diaz and Rector are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $91,300±$24kHighest 51% below AR $87,200±$21kLowest 54% below AR
Rector and Diaz are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $667±$183Lowest 30% below AR $869±$124Highest 8% below AR
Diaz and Rector are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $427Lowest 59% below AR $509Highest 51% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57%±22.5Highest AR: 44.8% 51%±21.1Lowest AR: 44.8%
Rector and Diaz 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% 25.1%Highest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 66.5%Highest AR: 66.4% 63.9%Lowest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 18 yrs older than AR 1982Highest 5 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 13% above AR 19 minLowest 15% below AR
Work from home 12.3%±9.9Highest AR: 8.8% 9.6%±11.8Lowest AR: 8.8%
Rector and Diaz are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 14.6%Highest 6.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 20.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Lowest 1.30Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Paragould (19%)Newport (36%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DiazFew work in Rector
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 146Highest 10.8Lowest
Schools
School district RECTOR SCHOOL DISTRICT—
High school in town Rector High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 8.8 —
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.

Rector neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rector’s Town Square.

Diaz neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Diaz’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rector and Diaz

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

Towns like Rector

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Smackover2,419 people · $119K 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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