Housing

From contemporary, urban loft space to cozy, suburban farmhouses, the Little Rock region offers a range of styles and options - all at an affordable price.

The region accommodates a variety of tastes. Neighborhoods range from luxurious, well-appointed loft apartments in midtown and downtown Little Rock, to the suburban and family-oriented dwellings of Chenal Valley, Hillcrest and The Heights.

Little Rock has a lower cost of living than the national average, so your money will go a long way. The area features new multi-unit and single-family dwellings in development and under construction every day. The median sale price of a home is $131,837, noticeably lower than the national median of $295,300.

"With a median home value of $131,837, Arkansas has some of the most affordable real estate in the U.S. Even in the highly populated areas, like Little Rock, prices are significantly lower than the national average," said Matt Frankel, CFP and mortgage analyst at The Ascent. "It's worth combining the low cost of buying a home with the current record-low mortgage rates of under 3% for a 30-year loan. We calculated that the average principal and interest payment in Arkansas with a 20% down payment is just $445."

Residents also generally pay less for things like food, utilities and health care than the average American.

Little Rock offers a better value than similarly-sized metro areas when you compare housing costs to median household income.