SPRINGDALE A TOP 50 PLACE TO LIVE
U.S. News & World Report ranks Springdale as the 47th Best Place to Live in the country. The 2025-2026 ranking of 250 U.S. cities says Springdale’s overall score of 6.5/10 also makes it the second best place in Arkansas to live.
Five indices are used in the rankings: Quality of Life (includes quality of education, health care, air quality, state of the economy and infrastructure), Value Index (includes housing affordability index and cost of living index), Desirability Index (crime rates, weather temperateness, culture/leisure index, commuter index), Job Market Index and Net Migration Index.
A major component of Springdale’s ranking is its healthy job market. With a healthier job market than similarly sized metro areas, Springdale currently has seen 1,469 new jobs created in 2025 and had 44,108 employed through April.
In explaining its positive review of our hometown, U.S. News & World Reports notes the median age of Springdale is 31.6. Springdale’s median household income is $64,316 and residents face a low average commute time of 17.6 minutes. Springdale’s unemployment rate is 2.94% while the national average is 4.5%
Low cost of living here, when compared to the other cities ranked, is a huge factor for families considering a move to Springdale. Married couples comprise 42.8% of our residents while singles are in the majority at 57.2%. Thirty percent are under 20 years of age while 21% are aged 45-64. Sixteen percent are between the ages of 25-34.
Three Northwest Arkansas cities – Rogers (26th), Springdale (47th) and Fayetteville (75th) – rank in the Top 80, with only 0.2 separating the three cities’ overall score. Conway ranks 89th.
Click here to see the entire list as well as the Best Places to Live methodology.