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%

Sparkman$680/mo

Typical home $121K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.47% · or rent about $539/mo · Housing →

McRae$1,110/mo

Typical home $196K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.53% · or rent about $668/mo · Housing →

The difference: $430 a month, about $5,200 a year, between McRae and Sparkman.

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

SparkmanMcRae

Snow a year2″2″

January low31°F 30°F

July high92°F 93°F

Growing season (days)223d 228d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st 88th

Outdoors & history

SparkmanMcRae

Settled1911 —

National Register places—5

Archive photos—5

Famous people born here4 1

Community

SparkmanMcRae

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

101 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SparkmanAR McRaeAR

Sparkman ↔ McRae101 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

SparkmanMcRae

People

Population 430Lowest 623Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -9.7% AR: +3.3%

Median age 42.4±20.6Lowest 10% above AR 42.5±7Highest 10% above AR

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

Kids under 18 17.9%±7Lowest AR: 23.1% 25.4%±5.9Highest AR: 23.1%

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

Age 65+ 17.9%±7.5Highest AR: 17.6% 12.2%±3.9Lowest AR: 17.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.9%Highest AR: 25.7% 8.2%Lowest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±3Highest AR: 5.1% 3.7%±3.3Lowest AR: 5.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $39,063±$5kHighest 36% below AR $35,132±$15kLowest 42% below AR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $74,300±$16kLowest 60% below AR $99,400±$37kHighest 47% below AR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $539±$144Lowest 43% below AR $668±$64Highest 29% below AR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $346Lowest 67% below AR $530Highest 49% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38%±30Lowest AR: 44.8% 68.6%±25.4Highest AR: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 17.2%Highest AR: 16% 14.4%Lowest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.7%Lowest AR: 66.4% 60.8%Highest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 14 yrs older than AR 1978Highest 9 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 16% below AR 24 minHighest 8% above AR

Work from home 7.1%±9.8Highest AR: 8.8% 1.4%±1.6Lowest AR: 8.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 7.7%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 24.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.85Highest 0.39Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fordyce (8%)Searcy (31%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in McRaeFew work in Sparkman

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.4Lowest 72.3Highest

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.

Sparkman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sparkman’s Town Square.

McRae neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McRae’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sparkman and McRae

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

Towns like Sparkman

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Tyronza627 people · $92K homes

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Pangburn515 people · $113K homes

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Cherry Valley543 people · $78K homes

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Hickory Ridge259 people · $53K 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.

Sparkman vs McRae

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $430 more a month in McRae

What daily life feels like in each

101 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sparkman and McRae

Towns like Sparkman

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