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Pulaski County · Arkansas

Cost of living in Little Rock, AR

Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.

Quick answer

Living in Little Rock, AR costs 10.6% below the national average — an all-items price level of 89.4. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $89,364 here.

All items
89.4US average = 100
Housing
68.331.7% below the national average
Goods
93.66.4% below the national average
Other services
95.34.7% below the national average

Price level by component

Where the difference actually comes from.

ComponentIndexvs USWhat it covers
Goods93.6-6.4%Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases.
Housing68.3-31.7%Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor.
Utilities74.6-25.4%Electricity, gas, water and other household energy.
Other services95.3-4.7%Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services.

What your salary is worth in Little Rock, AR

Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (89.4 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.

Real value here
$69,484
Needed to match US average
$55,490
Monthly difference
$-550

What a local paycheck is really worth

Nominal pay is only half the story.

The median household in Little Rock earns $62,094. Deflated by the local price level, that is $69,484 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 89.4.

Run your own salary through the comparison tool →

Same city, other datasets.

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities

2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.