The 10 Worst Small Towns In Arkansas For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Arkansas. However, as the Arkansan who live there know, small town Arkansas is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Arkansas has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Natural State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 138 of Arkansas’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Arkansas where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Arkansas for 2024:

1. Eudora
2. Marked Tree
3. Dermott
4. Brinkley
5. Luxora
6. Hughes
7. Altus
8. Kensett
9. Earle
10. Diaz

So what is the worst small town to call home in Arkansas for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Eudora is the worst small town to live in Arkansas.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Eudora home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Arkansas or the worst places to live in Arkansas.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Arkansas For 2024

1. Eudora

Source: Wikipedia User tara young | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,161
Median Home Value: $52,414
Median Income: $26,942
Unemployment Rate: 19.3%

2. Marked Tree

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 2,321
Median Home Value: $79,075
Median Income: $35,087
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

3. Dermott

Source: Wikipedia User Brandonrush | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,655
Median Home Value: $50,616
Median Income: $23,537
Unemployment Rate: 18.0%

4. Brinkley

Source: Wikipedia User Brandonrush | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 2,693
Median Home Value: $105,028
Median Income: $35,087
Unemployment Rate: 19.6%

5. Luxora

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,004
Median Home Value: $29,815
Median Income: $25,263
Unemployment Rate: 9.9%

6. Hughes

Source: Wikipedia User Brandonrush | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,051
Median Home Value: $85,765
Median Income: $26,250
Unemployment Rate: 5.9%

7. Altus

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,008
Median Home Value: $132,021
Median Income: $37,768
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%

8. Kensett

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,044
Median Home Value: $102,820
Median Income: $28,225
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

9. Earle

Source: Wikipedia User Thomas R Machnitzki | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,759
Median Home Value: $59,922
Median Income: $41,484
Unemployment Rate: 17.0%

10. Diaz

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,103
Median Home Value: $89,885
Median Income: $46,286
Unemployment Rate: 14.0%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Arkansas is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Arkansas, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 138 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Arkansas.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Arkansas

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Natural State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Arkansas are Eudora, Marked Tree, Dermott, Brinkley, Luxora, Hughes, Altus, Kensett, Earle, and Diaz.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Arkansas, according to science:

1. Lavaca (Pop. 2,467)
2. Johnson (Pop. 3,605)
3. Lake Hamilton (Pop. 2,031)

For more Arkansas reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Arkansas

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Eudora	2,161	19.3%	$52,414	$26,942
2	Marked Tree	2,321	6.7%	$79,075	$35,087
3	Dermott	2,655	18.0%	$50,616	$23,537
4	Brinkley	2,693	19.6%	$105,028	$35,087
5	Luxora	1,004	9.9%	$29,815	$25,263
6	Hughes	1,051	5.9%	$85,765	$26,250
7	Altus	1,008	9.7%	$132,021	$37,768
8	Kensett	2,044	7.4%	$102,820	$28,225
9	Earle	1,759	17.0%	$59,922	$41,484
10	Diaz	1,103	14.0%	$89,885	$46,286
11	Hamburg	2,792	8.3%	$95,507	$30,134
12	Stamps	1,481	19.7%	$72,182	$28,720
13	Marvell	1,100	17.2%	$52,307	$51,293
14	Marianna	3,575	21.1%	$71,916	$21,057
15	Waldron	3,375	10.8%	$123,041	$39,750
16	North Crossett	2,751	4.7%	$80,734	$40,504
17	Clarendon	1,366	11.0%	$79,753	$27,065
18	Newark	1,421	3.0%	$131,114	$33,103
19	Glenwood	1,739	1.9%	$177,144	$33,958
20	Dumas	3,965	9.0%	$84,975	$34,554
21	Ozark	3,546	11.7%	$148,157	$41,816
22	Hoxie	2,623	7.1%	$90,141	$33,354
23	Lepanto	1,706	8.8%	$82,115	$40,335
24	Mansfield	1,326	9.6%	$148,062	$43,235
25	Mcgehee	3,812	1.4%	$61,333	$34,917
26	Marshall	1,384	3.3%	$113,653	$28,290
27	Mcalmont	1,584	46.9%	$227,234	$30,517
28	Foreman	1,214	10.8%	$96,562	$38,266
29	Horseshoe Bend	2,423	16.2%	$134,015	$38,750
30	Danville	2,384	6.4%	$140,242	$61,726
31	Waldo	1,375	0.0%	$63,188	$34,844
32	Bald Knob	2,548	6.7%	$138,476	$47,917
33	Murfreesboro	1,703	7.1%	$142,365	$37,206
34	Calico Rock	1,822	4.5%	$164,882	$36,667
35	Dewitt	3,017	9.2%	$86,501	$47,147
36	Decatur	1,491	3.5%	$236,187	$39,886
37	Landmark	3,620	4.5%	$139,629	$47,742
38	Mccrory	1,738	3.4%	$119,752	$40,568
39	Salem	1,483	1.0%	$141,982	$32,853
40	Nashville	4,156	10.0%	$151,946	$39,836
41	Prescott	3,079	5.6%	$115,089	$29,899
42	Leachville	2,132	4.1%	$134,230	$31,607
43	Lamar	1,731	2.9%	$172,757	$41,188
44	Clinton	2,508	2.6%	$154,761	$42,292
45	Gurdon	1,756	5.0%	$96,930	$39,625
46	Corning	3,202	7.0%	$80,473	$41,607
47	Piney	4,563	5.9%	$134,966	$45,000
48	Dover	1,800	5.3%	$188,326	$30,764
49	Mountain View	2,868	0.0%	$186,830	$23,458
50	Caraway	1,174	4.9%	$77,544	$47,679
51	Paris	3,214	7.6%	$130,431	$45,505
52	Crossett	4,805	4.6%	$80,444	$41,250
53	Des Arc	1,400	3.1%	$87,360	$29,226
54	Booneville	3,819	8.4%	$105,665	$46,182
55	Swifton	1,198	12.3%	$68,364	$53,214
56	Mount Ida	1,410	7.1%	$214,411	$42,778
57	Rector	1,793	5.9%	$76,816	$40,772
58	Lonoke	4,261	13.0%	$186,556	$46,786
59	Melbourne	2,430	5.9%	$155,187	$41,938
60	Marmaduke	1,513	5.8%	$139,965	$48,021
61	Bay	2,392	6.6%	$122,891	$58,036
62	Fordyce	3,386	8.7%	$87,365	$35,116
63	Cave City	2,038	4.3%	$155,091	$40,441
64	Yellville	1,159	12.5%	$195,202	$33,983
65	Harrisburg	2,700	6.5%	$128,058	$48,008
66	Alexander	3,444	7.7%	$255,001	$68,431
67	Ash Flat	1,349	3.7%	$132,346	$39,632
68	Mulberry	1,616	3.3%	$159,795	$41,932
69	Hampton	1,354	6.1%	$97,175	$55,417
70	Huntsville	2,973	5.9%	$224,111	$48,478
71	Carlisle	2,329	6.2%	$167,448	$35,769
72	Wrightsville	1,382	1.6%	$81,470	$34,063
73	Gassville	2,466	8.6%	$178,038	$46,392
74	Judsonia	2,204	1.7%	$157,116	$41,232
75	Monette	1,346	4.6%	$119,340	$47,684
76	Lake Village	2,084	5.5%	$143,184	$42,143
77	Flippin	1,366	9.4%	$212,932	$38,686
78	Green Forest	3,033	3.4%	$170,946	$48,587
79	Atkins	2,865	6.2%	$147,941	$51,643
80	Perryville	1,302	3.9%	$131,101	$53,929
81	Little Flock	3,019	8.6%	$436,257	$55,035
82	Tuckerman	1,654	3.7%	$76,359	$47,321
83	London	1,113	4.7%	$186,099	$50,750
84	Bono	2,497	10.2%	$182,987	$48,611
85	Lake City	2,389	8.3%	$144,412	$56,414
86	Piggott	3,610	3.0%	$111,717	$43,255
87	Mineral Springs	1,291	4.2%	$118,220	$39,886
88	Smackover	1,975	4.4%	$108,364	$52,500
89	Lincoln	2,754	4.1%	$223,620	$50,625
90	Dardanelle	4,544	6.8%	$157,406	$47,724
91	Cedarville	1,548	1.2%	$203,710	$50,866
92	England	2,562	5.5%	$114,312	$53,036
93	Sulphur Springs	1,119	0.0%	$199,237	$32,275
94	Mammoth Spring	1,037	3.6%	$147,731	$39,118
95	West Crossett	1,196	2.9%	$113,985	$58,906
96	Kibler	1,141	4.3%	$201,713	$76,667
97	Barling	4,833	4.0%	$172,561	$50,289
98	Hazen	1,738	3.3%	$140,242	$47,209
99	Eureka Springs	2,053	1.1%	$291,827	$40,972
100	Augusta	1,995	6.0%	$68,404	$51,535