The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Arkansas
Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 82 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Arkansas. #1 is Piney, AR.
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25Shannon Hills, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 72% of Arkansas towns
4,490 people · Saline County · median home $170,900 · income $71,318 · Jan low 31°F · 3 in snow
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24Sheridan, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 74% of Arkansas towns
4,920 people · Grant County · median home $187,700 · income $62,453 · Jan low 29°F · 3 in snow
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23Fordyce, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 75% of Arkansas towns
3,396 people · Dallas County · median home $92,600 · income $38,079 · Jan low 31°F · 1 in snow
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22Lowell, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 76% of Arkansas towns
9,839 people · Benton County · median home $284,200 · income $95,527 · Jan low 24°F · 10 in snow
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21Corning, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 78% of Arkansas towns
3,227 people · Clay County · median home $89,500 · income $50,408 · Jan low 28°F · 5 in snow
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20Gibson, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 78% of Arkansas towns
4,111 people · Pulaski County · median home $157,800 · income $66,496 · Jan low 32°F · 4 in snow
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19Landmark, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 79% of Arkansas towns
3,585 people · Pulaski County · median home $156,600 · income $53,788 · Jan low 31°F · 4 in snow
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18Brinkley, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 81% of Arkansas towns
2,700 people · Monroe County · median home $94,000 · income $38,996 · Jan low 31°F · 3 in snow
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17Piggott, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 82% of Arkansas towns
3,622 people · Clay County · median home $115,500 · income $44,468 · Jan low 27°F · 3 in snow
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16Alexander, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 84% of Arkansas towns
3,385 people · Saline County · median home $174,000 · income $57,250 · Jan low 31°F · 1 in snow
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15Johnson, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 85% of Arkansas towns
3,609 people · Washington County · median home $312,900 · income $95,844 · Jan low 27°F · 7 in snow
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14Gravette, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 87% of Arkansas towns
3,547 people · Benton County · median home $216,300 · income $68,214 · Jan low 29°F · 13 in snow
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13Paris, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 90% of Arkansas towns
3,176 people · Logan County · median home $123,200 · income $51,416 · Jan low 29°F · 2 in snow
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12McGehee, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 92% of Arkansas towns
3,849 people · Desha County · median home $98,800 · income $36,875 · Jan low 34°F · 2 in snow
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11Barling, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 93% of Arkansas towns
4,782 people · Sebastian County · median home $140,000 · income $54,387 · Jan low 30°F · 3 in snow
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10Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 93% of Arkansas towns
6,559 people · Benton County · median home $297,500 · income $95,521 · Jan low 26°F · 10 in snow
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9Charleston, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Arkansas towns
2,588 people · Franklin County · median home $156,300 · income $56,600 · Jan low 28°F · 3 in snow
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8Haskell, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Arkansas towns
3,956 people · Saline County · median home $160,600 · income $85,758 · Jan low 31°F · 1 in snow
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7Prairie Grove, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 95% of Arkansas towns
7,045 people · Washington County · median home $256,000 · income $70,701 · Jan low 25°F · 7 in snow
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6Gentry, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 96% of Arkansas towns
3,790 people · Benton County · median home $186,100 · income $69,779 · Jan low 27°F · 11 in snow
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5Huntsville, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Arkansas towns
2,879 people · Madison County · median home $163,600 · income $57,813 · Jan low 30°F · 6 in snow
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4Cherokee Village, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Arkansas towns
4,780 people · Sharp County · median home $94,600 · income $37,326 · Jan low 26°F · 7 in snow
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3Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 98% of Arkansas towns
5,384 people · Lawrence County · median home $117,900 · income $45,027 · Jan low 28°F · 3 in snow
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2Elkins, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 99% of Arkansas towns
3,602 people · Washington County · median home $212,500 · income $81,789 · Jan low 25°F · 7 in snow
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1Piney, Arkansas
Better for first-time buyers than 100% of Arkansas towns
5,238 people · Garland County · median home $134,400 · income $50,901 · Jan low 29°F · 1 in snow
Price vs ranking
More Arkansas rankings
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Arkansas
- The 11 Quietest Small Towns in Arkansas
- The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Arkansas
- The 25 Best Small Towns for Families in Arkansas
- 25 Small Towns in Arkansas With the Cheapest Homes
- 25 Small Towns in Arkansas With the Mildest Winters
- The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in Arkansas
- 25 Small Towns in Arkansas With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
Same ranking, other places
- The 50 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in America
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Pennsylvania
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in New York
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Michigan
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Texas
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in California
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in New Jersey
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Florida
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Wisconsin
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Ohio
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)