Whether you’re new to Arkansas or a current resident thinking about moving within the state, it’s important to know how different the living conditions are. Arkansas has many different places, and each one has its own personality. Some places are known for being attractive, while others should be avoided. This guide lists the 20 worst places to live in Arkansas so that people looking for a place to live can learn something useful. Individuals can make better choices about where to live and build groups by getting more information about places that might be difficult. This summary is meant to help you choose the best places to live in the Natural State, from beautiful scenery to areas that might have problems.
Most Dangerous Cities In Arkansas (PHOTO: Southwest Journal)
1. West Memphis
According to Roadsnacks, the recently did an analysis and found that West Memphis, Arkansas, with just over 25,000 people, is the worst place to live in Arkansas. Its poor state is caused by two important reasons. According to some sources, it has the third-highest crime rate in the state, which makes it a dangerous place to live. In addition, the city has a very high jobless rate—10.9 percent, which makes it the fifth worst in the state. West Memphis has the 12th lowest typical house value, which makes things even harder. However, the typical family income somewhat lessens the effect of this, giving a more complex picture of the city’s economy.
2. Camden
Every year for the past few years, Camden has been in the top five of Arkansas’s least attractive places to live. With the 13th highest crime rate in the state, the city has a big problem with crime. Unemployment makes things even worse; a worrying 7% of locals don’t have jobs right now. The shocking fact that 31.4% of Camden’s people live below the poverty line may be the most upsetting fact about the city. The fact that Camden has the fourth-lowest typical house value in Arkansas, with homes averaging $76,300, shows how hard things are economically there. People who live in the city face many problems, which makes it a central point for thinking about how to make things better and how to help the community.
3. Helena-West Helena
There aren’t many jobs in Helena-West Helena, which has 11,000 people. This is a big problem because 12.2 percent of the population is jobless, which is the second-worst unemployment rate in Arkansas. Both the median family income and median house value are well below the state average, which shows how bad the economy is. These signs show that the area’s business is having a hard time, which is hurting the people who live there. To make things even worse, the city has some of the highest crime rates in the state. It is ranked fourth for serious crime and fourteenth for property crime. When economic problems and high crime rates come together, it’s clear that the Helena-West Helena community needs urgently to take action to create new chances and improve everyone’s health.
4. Blytheville
Concerns about safety are raised in Blytheville, where the total property and serious crime rate puts the city in fifth place in Arkansas. Residents also face a 17.1% chance of being robbed. However, crime isn’t the only thing that makes the city unattractive. Blytheville has the sixth-highest jobless rate in the state, at 10.2%. This shows that the economy is having a hard time. The typical family salary is just above the poverty line, which shows how hard it is for people to make ends meet. To make things even worse, Blytheville has the ninth-lowest typical house price in Arkansas, which makes it harder for people to find safe, inexpensive housing. The fact that safety issues and economic problems have come together shows how complicated the community’s problems are and how much they need to be solved.
5. Osceola
Due to a higher median family income than other towns on the list, Osceola avoids a higher ranking as one of the worst places to live. However, problems still exist in the community. Even though most people in Osceola have good incomes, almost 12% of them are unemployed. This is the third-worst jobless rate in Arkansas. The city is also a safety risk because it has the seventh highest total rate of violence and property crime in the country. This shows that economic security does not protect people from other important problems. Osceola faces a multitude of problems, which emphasizes the necessity for thorough plans to handle both money issues and safety issues in the neighborhood.
6. Hot Springs
A town of just under 37,000 people lives in the beautiful area of Hot Springs and faces its own unique problems. It has a nine percent jobless rate and a typical family income just over $34,000 a year. This makes it the ninth worst place in Arkansas for unemployment. Even though the high crime rate is a problem, Hot Springs’ highly rated public schools are a bright spot in an otherwise bad situation. Dealing with the careful balance of economic problems and safety worries is hard for the city. This shows how complicated it is for towns to find well-rounded living conditions.
7. Newport
In Newport, economic problems are the main issue, which makes the city an unattractive place to live. The city is having a hard time with money because it has one of the lowest typical family incomes in Arkansas and a high jobless rate of 7.3%. A large portion (30.1%) of Newport’s population lives below the poverty line because of low pay and high unemployment. Because people don’t want to live in this area, property prices are still very low. The typical house price of $76,700 is the third-lowest in the state. On top of these problems, Newport has the 12th highest crime rate in Arkansas. This shows how complicated the community’s problems are and how important it is to focus on specific ways to improve safety and economic opportunities.
8. Pine Bluff
Although Pine Bluff has a large population of almost 44,000 people, it is not an easy place to live because of many problems that make it less appealing. With an unbelievable 13% jobless rate, the city has the highest rate in Arkansas, which is a very big problem. The third-highest rate of physical crime and the sixth-highest rate of property crime can be found in Pine Bluff, making it the second most dangerous place in the state. Besides worries about safety, the city has bad schools and few fun things to do, which paints a full picture of the problems its people have to deal with. The large number of people living in Pine Bluff and the tough problems it faces make it even more important to take specific steps to fix its economic, safety, and community development problems.
9. El Dorado
El Dorado has a low cost of living, but there are also problems that make it less appealing. For example, the typical house value is $89,600, which is much lower than the state average and could mean that there isn’t much demand. The city has problems with its economy. The jobless rate is 8.9 percent, and the typical family income is low. El Dorado has the fourth highest crime rate in Arkansas, which makes things even scarier. Even with all of these problems, there is one bright spot: the city’s public schools are better than average, which could be a sign of quality in the middle of all of its other problems. When you put cost and hardship next to each other, it shows how complicated the factors are that affect life in El Dorado. This makes us think more deeply about how to improve economic chances and safety in the area.
10. Hope
Hope, which is in Hempstead County and has a population of 9,847 people, is a difficult place to live, despite its positive name. The city has a pretty high jobless rate of 6.2%, which is one reason why its typical home value is the seventh lowest in the state. Property crime rates are also a worry; locals have a one-in-twenty-five chance of being a victim of this type of crime. It’s clear that Hope needs focused efforts to improve its economic chances and safety conditions when you look at the name of the city and the problems its people face.
11. Little Rock
According to Only In Your State, Little Rock, the main city of Arkansas, is the most dangerous city in the state and one of the worst places to live in Arkansas. Arkansas is the fourth most dangerous state in the U.S., after Alaska, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The city plays a big role in that. With a one-in-69 chance of becoming a victim, Little Rock secures its questionable reputation as the second most dangerous city in the country. Despite the high risks, the city is home to almost 200,000 people, which makes it important to look more closely at the factors that affect such a large population in the face of security worries. The fact that Little Rock has a lot of people and safety problems makes it clear that the state capital needs thorough plans to improve public safety and community well-being.
12. Forrest City
Forrest City used to be thought of as a pretty safe place to live, but things have changed for the worse. It is now ranked as the seventh most dangerous place to live and the 12th worst overall. In the past few years, property crimes have slowly gone down. However, serious crime rates have been going up, which makes the city less desirable. There is now a 1 in 112 chance that a resident will be a victim of a serious crime like rape, attack, or murder. This big change in the safety situation means that we need to look more closely at what’s causing the rise in violent events and make sure that we have focused plans to deal with Forrest City’s changing problems.
13. Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a neighborhood area with just under 29,000 people. It is the ninth most dangerous place to live in Arkansas because of a worrying rise in both property and serious crimes. In particular, it places seventh for serious crime and 12th for property crimes, which shows how dangerous the area is for everyone. Along with crime, Jacksonville has problems with its schools and a lack of fun things to do for its people. When safety issues, educational problems, and a lack of fun things to do come together, it’s clear that Jacksonville needs to work together to improve people’s health and living situations.
14. Trumann
Trumann is ranked as a dangerous place to live, coming in at number ten on Arkansas’s list of the most dangerous places to live. The city has become one of the least attractive places in the state because crime rates have gone up so much. Families who are thinking about moving to Trumann face extra problems because there aren’t many family-friendly events and the public schools are scored much lower than average. Concerns about safety and a lack of community resources show how important it is for Trumann to have focused efforts to deal with its many problems and improve the quality of life for its people as a whole.
15. Fort Smith
Fort Smith is a town in Sebastian County with a population of 87,639 people. It is on the list of potentially difficult places to live because it has a high crime rate, ranking as the 13th most dangerous in Arkansas. It is especially dangerous for property crimes, ranking as the 9th most dangerous in the state. Even though these safety worries are real, Fort Smith has some good points that make it less of one of the worst places to live in Arkansas. High marks for the town’s public schools, and the town is proud of its diverse population. The general quality of life in Fort Smith can also be judged in a more detailed way because people can enjoy a wide range of social activities. The city’s mix of problems and strengths shows how complicated community relations can be and how important it is to look at more than one thing when judging living conditions.
16. Marion
Marion is a suburb of Memphis with more than 12,000 people. It has the 16th highest crime rate in Arkansas, which puts it on the list of possibly dangerous places to live. Concerns about violent crimes are high; Marion is ranked ninth in the state for this. Residents also have problems because there aren’t many things to do in the evenings, which makes them feel like they’re not really involved in the town. The problems are made even worse by the fact that public schools in the area get bad grades. Marion’s mix of safety concerns, limited leisure options, and educational problems shows the many problems that locals face every day. This shows how important it is to find complete ways to improve the community’s health as a whole.
17. Wynne
Wynne faces tough problems, which is why it is one of the least attractive places to live in Arkansas. The FBI’s most recent crime report puts Wynne at number 12 in the state for serious crime and number 22 for property crime, giving it a total score of number 17 in the state. Aside from safety worries, the city has a lot of problems that make it less appealing, such as few job chances, bad transportation, and not many things to do outside or at night. When these problems come together, it shows how complicated the problems are that Wynne residents face. This makes it even more important to find complete solutions to the city’s safety, business, and community development problems right away.
18. Alma
Alma is a small town in Crawford County with fewer than 6,000 people. It has a lot of problems that make it an unattractive place to live. The city is ranked 19th for serious crimes and 20th for property crimes, which makes people worry about their safety. In addition, people who live there have problems like not having many job options and not being able to do many outdoor activities. Even with these problems, Alma has some good things going for it, like public schools that are better than average, a diverse community, and good transportation links. The contrast between problems and benefits shows how complicated the factors are that affect life in Alma. This makes us think more carefully about efforts to make the town safer, more economically viable, and more community-focused.
19. Fayetteville
Fayetteville is a town in Washington County with an estimated 83,736 residents. It has a tough ranking as the 18th most dangerous place to live in terms of property crimes, which keeps people from moving there. The higher chance of being a victim of property crime is a big worry. Even so, Fayetteville has some good points that might balance the crime problem for some. Highly ranked public schools, a diverse community, and a wide range of fun things to do in the town make it a great place to live. The complicated interaction of safety issues and appealing features shows how complicated living conditions are in Fayetteville. This calls for a more in-depth look at ways to improve the health and happiness of the whole community.
20. Texarkana
Texarkana is almost at the bottom of the list of worst places to live in Arkansas. It has the 20th highest rate of serious crime and the 21st highest rate of property crime. The town in Miller County has both good and bad things about it. It’s not the best place for families because the public schools are average and there aren’t many family-friendly events. Even though there are worries about crime, Texarkana has a broad population, good transportation, and a good job market. The complicated picture of the town shows the good and bad sides of life in Texarkana. It also shows how important it is to take a broad approach to safety, education, and community growth for the residents’ health and happiness.
