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

Schools

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

Health

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

7Waldron

14Ozark

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

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

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

Waldron$890/mo

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

Ozark$970/mo

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

WaldronOzark

Snow a year3″1″

January low28°F —

July high92°F —

Growing season (days)203d —

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

Outdoors & history

WaldronOzark

Trails0 mi 2 mi

Conserved land0.9%5.5%

Settled1845 —

National Register places7 7

Archive photos11 18

Famous people born here6 5

Community

WaldronOzark

Library hours a week29 hrs 42 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.

WaldronAR OzarkAR

Waldron ↔ Ozark44 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

WaldronOzark

People

Population 3,344Lowest 3,551Highest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 18.8%±5.3Highest AR: 23.1% 17.7%±5.8Lowest 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+ 13.6%±4Lowest AR: 17.6% 18.1%±5.2Highest 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+ 7.8%Lowest AR: 25.7% 10.4%Highest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2%±2.1Lowest AR: 5.1% 3.7%±1.9Highest 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 $33,839±$18kLowest 44% below AR $47,686±$10kHighest 22% 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 $105,300±$32kLowest 44% below AR $124,000±$22kHighest 34% 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 $704±$132Lowest 26% below AR $721±$40Highest 24% 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 $535Highest 49% below AR $514Lowest 51% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.1%±15.2Highest AR: 44.8% 37.6%±14.7Lowest 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 19.4%Highest AR: 16% 17.8%Lowest AR: 16%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 0%±1Lowest AR: 8.8% 1.8%±2.7Highest 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 39.4%Highest 30%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.8 miHighest 23.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OzarkFew work in Waldron

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Lowest 5.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 2.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 4Highest

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

Schools

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

School district WALDRON SCHOOL DISTRICTOZARK SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Waldron High SchoolOzark Jr. Sr. High School

Students per teacherat that high school 8.8Lowest 9.7Highest

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.

Waldron neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waldron’s Town Square.

Ozark neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ozark’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.

Waldron vs Ozark

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 Waldron

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