Study: Happiest Cities in Arkansas

Arkansas offers the expanse of Ozarks and a mix of seasons to rival New England. But the scenery is just one reason residents stick around in the state known as Little Rock. For cities that CreditDonkey ranked as the happiest in Arkansas, citizens know how to have a good time and have reason to enjoy life.

Study Methodology

For the purposes of our study, we focused on places with a population of 5,000 or more. We used U.S. Census data to assign each city based on seven categories. The ones that rose to the top had the best cumulative score for the following:

1. Restaurants
   
2. Crime rate
   
3. Commute
   
4. Departure time
   
5. Income
   
6. Divorce rate
   
7. Housing

When you're feeling down, a little comfort food may be just what the doctor ordered. Enjoying a good meal with friends is a great way to cure a case of the blues, so we considered the number of restaurants per capita in each city.

Every city is different when it comes to crime and we know how important it is to feel safe in your hometown. Each of the locations in our study is ranked based in part on the odds of being the victim of a violent crime.

In a larger city like Little Rock, heavy traffic is usually a given, which is one reason why some people prefer life in the suburbs. To give you an idea of what you can expect on the roads, we considered each city's average commute time.

If you like to get up early to get a head start on the day, you may be doing yourself a big favor in the happiness department. Studies have shown that rising early may lead to an increased sense of satisfaction. That’s why we looked into which cities have the highest percentage of residents who leave for work before 5 a.m.

Being strapped for cash can really dampen your spirits. Bringing in a higher income can certainly alleviate some stress. To measure how financially well-off residents in each city are, we looked at median household incomes for the places in our study.

For some marriages, unfortunately, happiness proves to be elusive. We factored in the percentage of men and women in each city who are divorced to see where couples have the most staying power.

Shelling out a significant part of your salary for a mortgage or rent payment may leave you second-guessing your choice of city. Our final study measure centered on what percentage of income residents spend for housing.

10 Happiest Cities in Arkansas

10. Marion

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 1,024 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 195.2
  
• Average commute time: 22.4 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4%
  
• Median household income: $63,242
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10.3% of males, 12.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.6%

Marion sits just across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tenn., and it's considered part of the greater metropolitan area. A little over 12,000 people have put down roots here mainly because of its small-town charm. Moderately priced housing and a higher median income of around $63,000 also contribute to the high level of contentment here.

Did You Know: During the 1830s, thousands of Cherokee Indians passed through the area as they marched along the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma.

9. Mountain Home

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 208 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,785.9
  
• Average commute time: 10.9 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.2%
  
• Median household income: $31,328
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 13.5% of males, 17.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.3%

Another small town, Mountain Home sits in north central Arkansas in the heart of the southern Ozarks. This city of around 12,000 people takes top honors in three categories, with the best rating for restaurants per capita, the lowest violent crime rate, and the best average commute time. The median home price is at the lower end of the scale, and residents spend less than 20% of their pay on housing, making it a perfect choice for the budget-minded.

Did You Know: American Beauty actor Wes Bentley grew up in Mountain Home. He was presumably happier there than he appeared in that movie.

8. Russellville

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 337 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 300.7
  
• Average commute time: 14.2 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.9%
  
• Median household income: $36,972
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10.7% of males, 15.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 22%

Close to 29,000 people make their home in Russellville, which is part of the Arkansas River Valley. Almost 5% of residents are on their way into work before 5 a.m. Such trips take just 14 minutes on average. Housing costs are fairly reasonable, whether you're renting or buying, and at the end of the day, you'll find an eclectic mix of places to satisfy your appetite.

Did You Know: Russellville is home to Arkansas Nuclear One, the state's only nuclear power facility.

7. Bella Vista

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 1,609 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,092.4
  
• Average commute time: 26.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.9%
  
• Median household income: $61,412
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 4.4% of males, 7.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 18.6%

Bella Vista's name means "beautiful view" and it doesn't disappoint, offering residents an up-close look at the Ozark scenery. It seems to be an ideal place for married couples to settle down once the honeymoon's over; the combined divorce rate of 11.6% is the lowest of our 10 cities. Families will like it here too, considering the affordable housing and how safe the neighborhoods are.

Did You Know: Incorporated in 2006, Bella Vista is one of Arkansas's newest cities.

6. Conway

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 520 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 240.9
  
• Average commute time: 19.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.4%
  
• Median household income: $46,805
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 9.3% of males, 11.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.3%

Conway is the largest city in our study, with almost 63,000 residents, and its popularity continues to grow. Home prices are on par with what you'd see in Little Rock (about 40 minutes away), but since workers tend to earn a little more, the percentage of income spent on housing is actually less. If you've got a craving for barbecue, the Whole Hog Cafe is an excellent pick for ribs, chicken and pulled pork.

Did You Know: Fishermen have their happiest day of the year during the annual Arkansas Crappie Masters state tournament at Lake Conway.

5. Lowell

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 454 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 756.5
  
• Average commute time: 19.6 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 6.1%
  
• Median household income: $58,281
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 16.8% of males, 26.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.2%

Taking the fifth place spot is Lowell, a city of about 7,700 people located in the northwest part of the state. You won't find too many folks hitting the snooze button around here; Lowell has the highest percentage of residents who leave for work at the break of day. All those early mornings pay off in terms of the median income, which approaches $60,000. It also doesn't hurt that getting to work takes less than 20 minutes on average.

Did You Know: The annual Mudtown Days Festival celebrating Lowell's early history is the city's largest community event.

4. Rogers

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 556 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 285.9
  
• Average commute time: 16.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.8%
  
• Median household income: $51,535
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 7.9% of males, 12.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.7%

Rogers is Lowell's neighbor to the north, but with almost 59,000 residents, it moves at a much faster pace. Workers generally don't spend a lot of time in the car each day, with an average commute of under 17 minutes. Residents bring home the bacon in the form of a $51,000 median salary and just over 20% of that goes toward housing. If you're a foodie, you'll appreciate the variety of restaurants Rogers has to offer.

Did You Know: The Daisy International Airgun Museum is home to the world's largest collection of antique air rifles.

3. White Hall

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 492 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,091.2
  
• Average commute time: 21.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.7%
  
• Median household income: $68,007
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 13.7% of males, 11.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 13.9%

White Hall, part of the Pine Bluff metro area, is known for being one of Arkansas's more affluent towns. In fact, the 5,400 people who live here earn the highest median payday in our study, at $68,000. What's even better is they spend less than 14% of that on housing, which is the best rating of all 10 cities. The daily drive to work takes a little longer, but it's a small price to pay for living in such a peaceful, quiet community.

Did You Know: Dollarway Road, White Hall's first main thoroughfare, was the first paved road built in the state.

2. Siloam Springs

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 475 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 316.3
  
• Average commute time: 15.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.7%
  
• Median household income: $42,281
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 6.4% of males, 12.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.6%

It's easy to see why Siloam Springs made it to second place on our happiness list. At just over 15 minutes, the average commute is one of the shortest in our rankings, and there are a decent number of residents leaving for work at the crack of dawn. The median income is a healthy $42,000 and the nearly 16,000 people who live here don't have to part with too much of their hard-earned cash for housing.

Did You Know: The main campus of John Brown University is located in Siloam Springs.

1. Bentonville

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 345 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 444.3
  
• Average commute time: 15.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.3%
  
• Median household income: $61,680
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 8.4% of males, 12.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 17.6%

Bentonville sits adjacent to Rogers, but it surpassed its neighbor in our rankings for several reasons. For starters, there's the median income of almost $62,000 that workers rake in. Then there's the less than 16-minute average commute. Bentonville also has an edge when it comes to housing, with its 38,000 residents shelling out just under 18% of their pay for a home. If that's not enough to make you jump for joy, you may be convinced once you've had dinner at Tusk & Trotter, one of the city's top-rated restaurants.

Did You Know: Although its first store opened in nearby Rogers, the official headquarters of Wal-Mart can be found in Bentonville.

If you don't see your hometown on the list or you're wondering why Little Rock didn't snag a spot, there's no need for sad faces. We can't deny that Arkansas is full of highly livable spots for workers, families and retirees alike. When we looked at the numbers, however, the cities that earned a spot in our top 10 are the ones that have the happiest residents overall.