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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Arkansas where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Bentonville, AR
- Lowell, AR
- Maumelle, AR
- Centerton, AR
- Marion, AR
- White Hall, AR
- Rogers, AR
- Farmington, AR
- Greenwood, AR
- Jonesboro, AR
These are the happiest places in Arkansas. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Arkansas?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 66 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Bentonville
Population: 46,857
Earners Over $75k: 53.4%
Average Commute: 16
Marriage Rate: 14.0%
Bentonville is the happiest city in all of Arkansas. What makes Bentonville residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Bentonville resident only drives 16.8 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Bentonville residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Lowell
Population: 8,926
Earners Over $75k: 35.6%
Average Commute: 17
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
In 2nd place we have Lowell. Residents of Lowell are highly educated, with an impressive 29.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Lowell have plenty of them.
3. Maumelle
Population: 18,053
Earners Over $75k: 54.6%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 31.0%
Maumelle is the third happiest city in Arkansas. Why so happy? 31.0% of Maumelle residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Centerton
Population: 13,252
Earners Over $75k: 48.0%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 18.0%
Folks in Centerton have a lot to smile about. An impressive 48.0% of Centerton households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Centerton can afford peace of mind.
5. Marion
Population: 12,447
Earners Over $75k: 44.8%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
Marion is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Marion residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Arkansas city is only $152,400), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. White Hall
Population: 5,158
Earners Over $75k: 44.8%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 43.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give White Hall a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 44.8% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call White Hall home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Rogers
Population: 64,947
Earners Over $75k: 38.1%
Average Commute: 16
Marriage Rate: 13.0%
Rogers is the 7th happiest city. Rogers residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 16.4 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Farmington
Population: 6,810
Earners Over $75k: 35.8%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
Farmington residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Greenwood
Population: 9,357
Earners Over $75k: 42.4%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Arkansas is Greenwood. The average commute in Greenwood is only 25.0 minutes. That means they are only 25.0 minutes away from the loving spouse 32.0% of them have.
10. Jonesboro
Population: 74,710
Earners Over $75k: 28.5%
Average Commute: 18
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
In 10th place is Jonesboro, Arkansas. What makes Jonesboro so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Arkansas
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bentonville | 53.4% |
| 2 | Lowell | 35.6% |
| 3 | Maumelle | 54.6% |
| 4 | Centerton | 48.0% |
| 5 | Marion | 44.8% |
| 6 | White Hall | 44.8% |
| 7 | Rogers | 38.1% |
| 8 | Farmington | 35.8% |
| 9 | Greenwood | 42.4% |
| 10 | Jonesboro | 28.5% |
| 11 | Benton | 38.2% |
| 12 | Bryant | 43.5% |
| 13 | Batesville | 25.7% |
| 14 | Cabot | 36.6% |
| 15 | Sherwood | 39.2% |
| 16 | Prairie Grove | 37.4% |
| 17 | Greenbrier | 29.1% |
| 18 | Little Rock | 33.8% |
| 19 | Conway | 31.4% |
| 20 | East End | 39.6% |
| 21 | Searcy | 25.7% |
| 22 | Siloam Springs | 28.3% |
| 23 | El Dorado | 27.0% |
| 24 | Springdale | 27.1% |
| 25 | Paragould | 27.2% |
| 26 | Wynne | 28.3% |
| 27 | Beebe | 23.5% |
| 28 | Magnolia | 23.1% |
| 29 | Alma | 25.7% |
| 30 | Stuttgart | 20.2% |
| 31 | Fayetteville | 28.9% |
| 32 | Van Buren | 26.5% |
| 33 | Pea Ridge | 33.7% |
| 34 | North Little Rock | 24.7% |
| 35 | Russellville | 18.9% |
| 36 | Fort Smith | 23.6% |
| 37 | Jacksonville | 26.6% |
| 38 | Hot Springs Village | 35.8% |
| 39 | Walnut Ridge | 19.8% |
| 40 | Monticello | 23.4% |
| 41 | Texarkana | 25.5% |
| 42 | Heber Springs | 22.0% |
| 43 | Trumann | 17.4% |
| 44 | Crossett | 17.1% |
| 45 | Harrison | 20.8% |
| 46 | Osceola | 12.9% |
| 47 | Arkadelphia | 18.3% |
| 48 | Hope | 16.5% |
| 49 | Blytheville | 19.2% |
| 50 | Berryville | 19.9% |
| 51 | Clarksville | 15.2% |
| 52 | Mountain Home | 17.6% |
| 53 | Warren | 15.7% |
| 54 | Pine Bluff | 16.1% |
| 55 | Malvern | 15.7% |
| 56 | West Memphis | 15.3% |
| 57 | Helena-West Helena | 13.8% |
| 58 | Hot Springs | 19.2% |
| 59 | Newport | 20.4% |
| 60 | Camden | 14.7% |
| 61 | De Queen | 20.1% |
| 62 | Pocahontas | 12.4% |
| 63 | Morrilton | 19.0% |
| 64 | Cherokee Village | 16.9% |
| 65 | Forrest City | 11.4% |
| 66 | Mena | 12.7% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
