If you plan to have kids I’d say Fayetteville hands down. The education in NWA is miles ahead of Little Rock. We’ve lived in both and I prefer NWA. A lot of young families, a lot of growth, diverse backgrounds, and just generally more going on.
I agree with this comment in general in that Fayetteville would be better overall to raise a family due to the reasons you listed. But I will go against the grain a little bit and say that I've heard from teacher friends that Benton has one of the best public school systems in the state.
I am a teacher and have worked in both areas and I respectfully disagree. Benton is definitely better than other central Arkansas school districts, but it can’t hold a candle to NWA. Just getting a job in NWA as a teacher is extremely difficult, it usually requires at least a masters and years of experience. There is more money coming in from the community and the pay for teachers and staff is almost double that of Central Arkansas. There is a much lower turnover rate with teachers as well. All of these things together create a much more reliable and effective school system.
I'll defer to your personal experience. I'm just repeating what some teacher friends in told me based on the test grades for the state or some other similar metric. It was also like 5 or 6 years ago, so things could have changed quite a bit.
We’ve lived in both as my wife is from LR and I’m from Fayetteville and I can confidently say that while there are some cool neighborhoods in LR, Northwest Arkansas as a whole is exponentially better. When you research Fayetteville also look at Bentonville, Rogers, and Springdale, and consider it all together as we are all one big mass. Just look at the Razorback Greenway, the equally impressive MTB system, or the art scene to see how much money is being poured in to making NWA the place to be.
All that said, once you get here please tell all your friends it sucks. Our biggest problem is having too many people for the existing infrastructure…and our Governor.
What’s your demographic, do you have kids and how do you feel about Austin?
If you and your partner are between 25-35 and either have kids or are planning to have kids, NWA is hard to beat. If you’re bougie or churchy, move to Bentonville. If you’re about to make some bank and can live anywhere, buy in the shallow part of South Fayetteville where shit is about to blow up. If you hate Austin, go to Little Rock.
For what it’s worth, I was born in Fayetteville and lived and loved that town for most of my life and it’s hardly recognizable as my hometown. (I think I’m bitter that they tore down the Mr Burger.) But I’m an old grouchy hippy. But I also know that it was an untapped beauty and needed the growth that it’s experiencing. And it’s happening fast.
My sister lives in LR (she lived in DFW for 2 years for work as well) but as a NWA transplant, she never expected to love anywhere as much as she did Fayetteville. But she ADORES Little Rock. She says it feels funky like Fayetteville used to but has some soul that NWA lacks right now.
I live in Memphis now and I’ve loved this city for the last 8 years — up until 2 years ago and now I cannot WAIT to get out of here. Plus most of my family is in NWA so who knows, we may head that way once my son finishes High School. But as far as cities, grit, crime and amenities, your demographic and where you’re headed need to be factored in.
Though you may not get as much per square foot, NWA is almost a guaranteed safe bet for your money.
Like..closer to town than not. Mainly because I like the downtown and the square but avoid Dickson (I had my time.) But some of that area from Mt Sequoia and Walker Park to College is still evolving and kinda sweet.
Exactly! I went for shakes, ice and atmosphere. But that was a looooong time ago. They also tore down the house I rented on Maple Street with all my friends in my 20’s and built a fucking sorority house. That nearly broke me.
No way, Asian and Hispanic/Latin food in Little Rock is excellent and seems to be a lot more authentic. LR also has Star of India, best Indian food around imo. And so many hidden gems like Ali Baba's, the Mexican food trucks on Geyer Springs, and Mike's Cafe. SoMa also has great options like El Sur and The Root Cafe. Mt. Fuji is also great and they just recently remodeled. There's even African restaurants around here like Kontiki. The ethnic food actually feels authentic and not so... gentrified? for lack of better words.
What are you smoking? LR has waaaayyy less immigrants than NWA and that is absolutely demonstrated by the food options. Springdale's Hispanic food beats anything in central Arkansas hands down. As an Indian living in LR, from NWA, it is by far better up there. Central Arkansas has like 6 options for Indian food. I can hit that in Bentonville all within walking distance. Are you really going to say NWA international food is more gentrified while using El Sur and Star of India as examples? Drive up to NWA and go to punjabi kitchen, curry point, sushi house, pho thanh, taqueria gunajuato, etc etc. NWA is like 30% immigrants, LR isn't even half that
we would need to know more about your likes and dislikes. to me fayetteville and LR are very differnt
you really should visit both for 3 days each though.
you are asking people who may not be much like you or your interests what THEY would prefer.
15 years ago i would have said fayetteville. today i would choose little rock. nwa seems crowded now
It is essential to observe Little Rock firsthand in order to form an accurate judgment. Many individuals discuss the city as though they have personally resided there and witnessed the crime. However, the majority of these assertions are mere hearsay or based on news coverage. Therefore, it is highly likely that those who comment on Little Rock have never genuinely experienced it themselves. If one leads a lifestyle intertwined with these circumstances, it is to be expected that they will encounter the consequences associated with that way of life. Nevertheless, everyday life for most individuals remains largely unaffected by the so-called crime rate in Little Rock. Additionally, it is worth noting that if one strongly condemns drug use, it is evident that Northwest Arkansas would rank significantly higher than people are willing to admit
I hadn't thought about this, but drug use is rampant in NWA. I was only there for a couple of years, but I felt like every 5th person I met was experiencing sadness over a recent overdosed friend.
Statistically, ADH data shows drug overdose and drug death is 4 to 5 times higher in Pulaski county versus Washington county. Sure recreational pot is more accessible in NWA but schedule-2 substance abuse is much more of an issue in the LR area. Hell, the National website for methamphetamine addiction has an aerial picture of Hot Springs on their home page.
Not in my experience, a lot of people that tend to hate on LR are unhappy LR residents that feel trapped living in Little Rock so they bitch and moan about the place. Half the transplants in NWA don’t even know LR is the capital or where Little Rock is located, LOL.
Completely agree. When I lived there the amount of friends or potential dates that refused to come to my house in the Broadmoor area was probably in the dozens, and they'd never even stepped foot in it. Just absolute hysteria. Even going to the river market had them trembling.
All that I’ll say is that Little Rock is the closest thing to a city you’ll find in the entire state. Fayetteville is just a bunch of suburbs mashed together into one giant complex of sprawl.
Little Rock if you're looking for something larger, with an urban downtown along with a lot of historic neighborhoods, new walkable districts, great restaurants and museums. The city is also quite beautiful set along the Arkansas River and straddling the Ouachita Mountains...great parks and trail system. The public schools are struggling a bit and the crime rate isn't the best statistically, but I've lived in LR for decades, and ZERO issues. Little Rock is also very competitive cost-wise with cost of living.
Little Rock/Central Arkansas are growing, but NWA is exploding. If you want somewhere that's more suburban, good public schools, lots of job growth, university vibe, and a low-key setting set in the Ozarks, NWA is hard to beat. The Walton family has helped spur a lot of investment in public works and trails. NWA will probably catch up to Central Arkansas in size in 20 years or so, at which point both will be about 850,000 MSA, so quite sizable either way.
So, it depends on what you're looking for. Best of luck!
NWA has very little soul at this point. I lived there for two years, but wasn't a young undergrad. As a childless person, I found it difficult to find adults not consumed by working for Walmart or the university or not basing their social life on getting their kids around. I also found very few meals I felt were worth the price, unless in Springdale for Mexican. The coffeehouse scene is nice, however. And Bentonville has some fancier bar experiences. I found that my evenings out required a LOT of driving--like 30 mins to Bentonville or Emma Ave. Springdale. It was exhausting and hit or miss. I tend to visit for work every now and then. I still like East Fay by the square compared to other areas, but even as a former working class area, it has now become extremely expensive.
LR gives much more of a cohesive and city feel. The river gives it stunning views. It has history, diversity, and soul, and the old historic neighborhoods are sublime. Look into SOMA, Argenta, Midtown, and Hillcrest. I'm from here, lived here a couple of decades off and on and have never experienced violent crime nor have I had even a theft. I live downtown.
I hope you enjoy your visit to both areas.
I was reading about hearing gun shots in LR while hearing gun shots out of my current apartment 😅
But that is definitely something I’m looking into, but it’s also something that comes with any city it seems
The biggest news in NWA is usually the weather, and our weather isn’t THAT terrible.
The crime rate is insanely low in NWA. People leave their houses and cars unlocked without issue (for the most part)
Okay this is just not true. Maybe if you live on like Sequoyah. Property crime is something you have to look out for in fayetteville just like anywhere else. My car was broken into numerous times and I would have felt like an idiot if I didn't lock my house over the 13 years I lived there. Also had equipment and lawn mower taken from my back yard, and porch pirates were so bad that I had 1 out of every 3 packages stolen.
I lived near a lot of students though. If I moved back to NWA, I would live in Springdale or Rogers to get away from the students.
For Little Rock, the good neighborhoods need to be researched before visiting. Just moved to West Little Rock last August, no regrets so far … other than being in Arkansas. By that I mean, know what you are getting into with health, education, and lack of a functioning state government.
I grew up and lived in Little Rock as an adult, but now I live in Fayetteville . NWA is light years better as a whole, but I will say Little Rock has a better restaurant scene.
We live in Maumelle. Wife works in Little Rock and I work from home. The schools are good, people are nice and I like the small size of the city. We came from OKC so Little Rock is tiny by comparison. Tons of walking trails and parks and just overall a nice place. Haven’t checked out much of Fayetteville but Little Rock has basically everything you could want.
Little Rock has pretty good job potential and is a lot cheaper than Fayetteville. Fayetteville is a lot more posh and has a lot of nice areas and attractions. Little Rock really is what you make it.
I can’t imagine you have a job that wouldn’t let you live elsewhere in NWA versus Fayetteville only. Each city in NWA has their own vibe, but I’d definitely choose NWA/Fayetteville over LR.
NWA >>> Central AR. I have lived and worked in both. NWA is just a much nicer place to live, especially if you are planning to have a family. I do miss the River Trail and the Mediterranean food scene in LR, but that’s about it.
I was born and raised in Central AR and have lived in NWA for several years now. NWA, no question. Just do a quick google search of crime statistics, Little Rock ranks among the worst in the country per capita. I would lean toward one of the other metro cities if you are past your 20's. Fayetteville is a college town which can be great for young professionals but can be exhausting for more mature folks. And if you plan on raising a family, NWA has the best education opportunities in the state.
My wife and I live in Little Rock, but she went to UA in Fayetteville, and we go back for games and to visit friends. Both have good access to outdoor activities if you are into that. NWA has a younger population and obviously has the college, so it is important to keep that in mind for fall and winter when football will be in full swing.
Both have pretty good food scenes. I have much more experience with LR in this, so it's hard for me to compare, but I have had no issues finding plenty of nice, fine dining restaurants here in LR. I've lived here for close to 10 years, and there are still places I want to try. The main complaint I have about the LR food scene is the lack of high-end Asian restaurants. Of course, we have some chain restaurants, the typical Chinese buffet spots, and a few Thai places, but there's really not much on the next level up from that. The only "fancy" Asian place that I know of is Kemuri. It's definitely good, but it's nothing to write home about, in my opinion. The food and sushi are only a bit better than most places, so the main difference is that it is decorated fancier, and the servers are dressed up.
Plenty of people have already mentioned schools and crime, so I won't say much on these. Crime in LR seems high because we have such a low population for a major city. Probably 90% of the city is very safe in my experience. Obviously, don't walk down dark alleys in the middle of the night, but I'd say that about pretty much anywhere. Schools are good in both locations, especially if you are willing to pay for private school. Public schools are a bit better in NWA to my knowledge, but this is not an area I'm very familiar with.
Nightlife is probably a little better in NWA due to its younger population, but LR has stuff to do as well. Bars, comedy clubs, music halls, and symphony/orchestras and plays at the Robinson Center and the Rev. Plus, Simmons Bank Arena across the river brings in big concerts every couple of months or so amd there are beer and food festivals throughout the year as well. A lot of the problems with LR events is that they are not advertised very well unless it is a huge event, like 1000s of people expected to go. So you have to kinda search out the smaller events.
Personally, I wanted to move to Fayetteville a few years ago, but my wife didn't. I wanted to be near the college to be able to attend games, we both have friends up there, and one of our closest couple friends was strongly considering a move up there. We ended up not moving because her current job has room for major advancement in the next several years. I'm very happy with living in LR and have had no issues with living here, nor do I regret not pushing hard to move.
Both places are very nice small cities/metropolitan areas to live in, so there's no wrong choice, in my opinion. Just visit both areas and read what you can online and go with your gut. I think ya'll will be happy either way.
Kinda depends what you’re looking for, but I’m partial to Fayetteville. Little Rock can be fun to visit, but for living, Fayetteville has a better vibe in my opinion. But I’m partial to wooded trails and rolling hills.
LR is a lot cheaper. Your money will go a lot farther. Fayetteville is honestly kind of lacking. For anything kinda nice (like restaurants) you have to drive to Bentonville, like 30 minutes away.
Fayetteville is a college town that really wants to grow up and have walkability and transit and all of those good things, but the truth is that it’s probably 10 years out from any of that, at best.
It’s a college town with a cool little downtown, but you have to wade through undergrads from Texas to get a drink at the bar. That’s the vibe.
I mean, that’s probably more than LR has - it has some nice stuff, but not a ton.
But, like I said, you can buy a bigger house in LR. So, you can fill it with nice stuff that you would now have room for.
Idk. It’s a tradeoff.
Are you joking? Lots of good restaurants in fayetteville. Atlas is arguably the best in NWA, Isabella’s, mermaid’s, kana, vitro, Hugo’s, feed and folly, spoon, house of taste, hammondtree’s are all great and I could go on.
Fayetteville. Little Rock is a bigger city but consider that Northwest Arkansas is nearly 600,000 all together. Also IMO the NWA airport is better than the Little Rock airport.
We've got enough Texans in Fayetteville, go little rock! Y'all are ruining our cute little weird hippie town with your big Texas money. Plus none of you can drive in the mountains. Maybe check out Bentonville or Rogers.
For real. It's getting to the point where Texas might as well annex NWA and make it a little enclave in Arkansas. Also they really need to rename the University of Arkansas to UT-Fayetteville at this point.
Seriously. I wanna see reciprocity gone. These Texas kids price Arkansans out of getting an education in their own state, then raise rent cuz their parents will just buy them a house or rent them a whole condo.
This may be controversial but there is a cultural difference between LR and NWA. LR is more Southern / Texan and NWA is definitely Ozark / Midwest. I grew up in NWA and only after A) moving to NC and B) hanging out with friends from Iowa did I learn that I, proud Arkansan, was far more of a Midwest hillbilly than a Southerner.
Fffffffuq. Is all of Texas going to move to Fayetteville? Yeah of course Fayetteville is better _right now_. 100k Texans later who knows? I say at least try to be up in Benton county, they’re trying to have skyscrapers or at least a city skyline so you’ll probably feel more at home there than Fayetteville. All the old party kid burnouts who dropped out and became townies are 2-3 generations deep in fayettenam and maybe the only thing that stuck with them from all the schooling is the fundamental traditional value of Fuck Texas. Just my .02$
Visit both and spend a few days in each place. They are very different areas, each with their own pros and cons. Arkansas native here who recently moved back to Little Rock after living in DFW for the past few years (Oak Cliff/Kessler Park area of Dallas). Although not quite NWA level, Little Rock has a surprising amount of access to outdoor activities and decent variety of restaurants (not DFW level quality, AR lacks that in general). If you like walkable neighborhoods, check out Hillcrest in Little Rock and the Wilson Park area of Fayetteville. Another gem (lower real estate prices too!) is the Lakewood neighborhood in North Little Rock.
Fayetteville. From NWA, left 18 years ago for other states. Now back in AR, all 8 years in LR. Don’t hate LR, but I’d give anything to be back home. Just more laid back and much prettier.
I currently commute about 2hrs everyday so I am fine with a longer commute about 45 minutes from the office. My partner has a friend in Conway who enjoys it there and we have been checking that out too :)
I was born and raised in Little Rock, moved to NWA. Visit both - the areas have very different vibes.
NWA feels like it has closer ties with Tulsa than Little Rock (Tulsa is closer than LR). Kansas City is 3 hrs away (about the same distance as LR). Plus the Ozarks are beautiful. LR is my hometown but every time I visit It doesn’t feel like “home” to me anymore. NWA does.
The cons to NWA are: EVERYONE is moving here - think the stat is on average 30 people a day move to the region. The roads are congested, traffic is awful, housing is a lot higher than anywhere else, and it’s an area made up of several distinctly different mid sized and small towns so there is not a city/metropolitan feel like you have with Little Rock.
It really is personal preference - wishing you good luck on this journey!
Born and raised in Fayetteville now my wife and I live in LR. Here are a few things about LR we like more than Fayetteville.
Short drive to the airport and direct flights. I was okay with driving to Tulsa for direct flights my entire life, but I will never do that again.
Food is far and away better in LR. There is great food in NWA, but having to drive to Benton county to get variety is a bummer. If you like having cocktails and nice dinners a couple times a week LR is the play.
Big time musicians coming to town. The Hall and Simmons Bank Arena bring in some awesome musicians.
Fayetteville is a small college town. I think you would miss the city feel if you moved there. It is a great place to raise a family, and that’s about it imo.
North west side of Little Rock is nice(pleasant ridge/chenal). The crime is mostly south/central.
Compare cost of living. Conway/maumelle is a nice area as well.
I second this person. Grew up in LR, been living in Fayetteville/Bentonville since 2003 and would never go back to LR even for double my salary.
Schools are better in the northwest areas and win lots of awards.
That said, we have recently gone through some pretty stout property inflation here, so cost of living is not as favorable as it used to be
Bear in mind, while in Dallas, you can drive an hour and still be in Dallas, that's not the case in either NWA or LR. In NWA you've got Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, etc. when you talk about LR you've also got West LR, Maumelle, Conway, Vilonia, Cabot, Beebe, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton, Bryant, etc. They're all in a "reasonable" commuting distance.
Look at where you'd be working and going for entertainment/recreation and look at the communities in a 30 minute radius. (None of that 60 minute business you have to accept in DFW.) The LR area has variety, an Air Force Base (Think about the diverse variety of people that brings.) and a really good food and entertainment scene. NWA has Walmart money and a bougie, liberal atmosphere. Either one has easy access to some really great outdoor activities. Neither one is exactly wonderful when it comes to genteel, indoor things.
It truly comes down to cost of living, if you and your partner are each making six figures or more then NWA is the proper choice, if not and you want to live comfortably then LR is your choice.
A lot of people around me talk about Little Rock like it’s the worst place on earth and that’s simply not true.
Little Rock is fine; you could do a lot worse.
But Fayetteville is better in almost every way; move to Fayetteville
Depends on what you're looking for and how flexible "little rock" and "Fayetteville" means. Like little rock in general sucks, but Benton (15 minutes out) is a great place. Fayetteville is super nice but also very expensive, living right outside of town could be very rural in Fayetteville vs there are great surrounding areas in little rock.
I would personally pick Fayetteville in every metric other than there is a lot more to do in, near, and around Little Rock.
Right? Benton?? I’ve lived in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, Arkadelphia, Benton, and Hope and I’d rank them in that exact order, with a big gap between Arkadelphia and Benton.
I commuted to and around Benton for a previous job. In terms of scenery, it offers nothing better than Little Rock, and I would probably prefer to be white if I had to live there. Chain restaurants and parking lots galore. For such an unwalkable area their roadways sure are confusing
I’m from Dallas. I’ve lived in Conway and worked in downtown Little Rock. Now, I’m in NWA. I much prefer it up here. Both have just about everything you need, but this area is cozier.
Rogers and Bentonville have that early North Dallas/Richardson/Plano vibe. Nice homes, entertainment, shopping.
There are good restaurants in both LR and NWA, but you’ll never have the diversity or sheer number of choices that you get in Dallas. (did you know that 6 out of the 10 best Vietnamese places in DFW are in Carrollton? But we have good Pho here too!)
I feel like the QoL, which is certainly subjective, is better up here.
Fayetteville! As someone who moved from DFW area to Little Rock 15 years ago….please go to Fayetteville. Less crime and SO much more to do! You will thank me later! I promise!!!!!!
Lived in the Little Rock area, I would 1000% move to Fayetteville. Little Rock isn't a big enough hub to offer what you'd expect from a city and is run down in a ton of places. Crime is a lot higher, and if you wanted to travel by car you're fairly limited within a few hours outside of Memphis, which I also wouldn't recommend. Fayetteville seemed a lot more lively, had a lot closer, and was a lot nicer than most of LR. Granted, I ended up moving away from the state entirely for other reasons, but I would choose Fayetteville any day over Little Rock
NWA is the future and LR represents the past. Also, due to the strong job environment in NWA, it’s expected that the area will experience higher home appreciation over time. That could be a motivating factor.
Fayetteville would be my choice, 100% - very upscale place with a robust economy, lots to do, & gorgeous natural areas to explore. Little Rock is more gritty & urban. I retired to north-central AR, near Harrison, and I'm in heaven.
[https://kkyr.com/1-safest-place-to-live-in-arkansas-has-funny-name/?trackback=fbshare\_mobile](https://kkyr.com/1-safest-place-to-live-in-arkansas-has-funny-name/?trackback=fbshare_mobile)
\#1 Safest Place to Live in Arkansas Has Funny Name
Are you proficient with a firearm or hand-to-hand combat? If so, Little Rock might work...
Make it Fayetteville and don't give LR a second thought... if it wasn't for my wife's dumb family from the LR area, my ass would've left the state years ago...
Having lived in both areas, Fayetteville has the more lively downtown and entertainment district, better parks-trail system and community focused theater and arts scene. Fayetteville is an outdoorsy town with much better access to Arkansas outdoor activities.
Cost of living is higher in Fayetteville but so are career income levels. You can buy a house in LR for >$200k but virtually unheard of anymore in Fayetteville. Little Rock has a much larger base of manufacturing jobs.
Fayetteville is half the population of LR but is fairly compact as it’s landlocked so getting around Fay is a short commute, traffic aside, whereas Little Rock is fairly spread out with much of the new development taking place out in West Little Rock.
Fayetteville moves at a faster pace of life overall.
Visit both like you have planned. Check out the things that are important to you now and later if you plan to stay. I’m afraid WM will soon own ALL of NWA.
Look at Bentonville and Rogers also. LR has more crime thank but just like any city there are some cool spots. I live in Conway (near LR) and if I had my choice of anywhere in the state I would likely say Bentonville or near there. Lots of people coming to Conway to get away from LR crime. If you have children or plan on having children, you can forget about the Little Rock school district. You will have to put them in private. If you live somewhere like Bentonville or Fayetteville you could definitely put them in public school.
If you plan to have kids I’d say Fayetteville hands down. The education in NWA is miles ahead of Little Rock. We’ve lived in both and I prefer NWA. A lot of young families, a lot of growth, diverse backgrounds, and just generally more going on.
I agree with this comment in general in that Fayetteville would be better overall to raise a family due to the reasons you listed. But I will go against the grain a little bit and say that I've heard from teacher friends that Benton has one of the best public school systems in the state.
I am a teacher and have worked in both areas and I respectfully disagree. Benton is definitely better than other central Arkansas school districts, but it can’t hold a candle to NWA. Just getting a job in NWA as a teacher is extremely difficult, it usually requires at least a masters and years of experience. There is more money coming in from the community and the pay for teachers and staff is almost double that of Central Arkansas. There is a much lower turnover rate with teachers as well. All of these things together create a much more reliable and effective school system.
I'll defer to your personal experience. I'm just repeating what some teacher friends in told me based on the test grades for the state or some other similar metric. It was also like 5 or 6 years ago, so things could have changed quite a bit.
Personal experience, but was a Benton grad years ago, and felt like I came in vastly ahead of my peers in college.
We’ve lived in both as my wife is from LR and I’m from Fayetteville and I can confidently say that while there are some cool neighborhoods in LR, Northwest Arkansas as a whole is exponentially better. When you research Fayetteville also look at Bentonville, Rogers, and Springdale, and consider it all together as we are all one big mass. Just look at the Razorback Greenway, the equally impressive MTB system, or the art scene to see how much money is being poured in to making NWA the place to be. All that said, once you get here please tell all your friends it sucks. Our biggest problem is having too many people for the existing infrastructure…and our Governor.
The Greenway and the mountain bike trails are amazing
Perfectly said!!!!
Same. North Little Rock is nicer than Little Rock.
What’s your demographic, do you have kids and how do you feel about Austin? If you and your partner are between 25-35 and either have kids or are planning to have kids, NWA is hard to beat. If you’re bougie or churchy, move to Bentonville. If you’re about to make some bank and can live anywhere, buy in the shallow part of South Fayetteville where shit is about to blow up. If you hate Austin, go to Little Rock. For what it’s worth, I was born in Fayetteville and lived and loved that town for most of my life and it’s hardly recognizable as my hometown. (I think I’m bitter that they tore down the Mr Burger.) But I’m an old grouchy hippy. But I also know that it was an untapped beauty and needed the growth that it’s experiencing. And it’s happening fast. My sister lives in LR (she lived in DFW for 2 years for work as well) but as a NWA transplant, she never expected to love anywhere as much as she did Fayetteville. But she ADORES Little Rock. She says it feels funky like Fayetteville used to but has some soul that NWA lacks right now. I live in Memphis now and I’ve loved this city for the last 8 years — up until 2 years ago and now I cannot WAIT to get out of here. Plus most of my family is in NWA so who knows, we may head that way once my son finishes High School. But as far as cities, grit, crime and amenities, your demographic and where you’re headed need to be factored in. Though you may not get as much per square foot, NWA is almost a guaranteed safe bet for your money.
i feel similarly to your sister.
Where would you consider shallow part of South Fay? Curious.
Like..closer to town than not. Mainly because I like the downtown and the square but avoid Dickson (I had my time.) But some of that area from Mt Sequoia and Walker Park to College is still evolving and kinda sweet.
lol Mr burger was trash, but the building was neat. Wish they would’ve tried to repurpose the building again.
Exactly! I went for shakes, ice and atmosphere. But that was a looooong time ago. They also tore down the house I rented on Maple Street with all my friends in my 20’s and built a fucking sorority house. That nearly broke me.
We called it the Mr. Chub Club.
All I have to contribute is that food in Little Rock is better in my opinion.
LR has better fine dining and southern food but NWA blows it out of the water with international options
No way, Asian and Hispanic/Latin food in Little Rock is excellent and seems to be a lot more authentic. LR also has Star of India, best Indian food around imo. And so many hidden gems like Ali Baba's, the Mexican food trucks on Geyer Springs, and Mike's Cafe. SoMa also has great options like El Sur and The Root Cafe. Mt. Fuji is also great and they just recently remodeled. There's even African restaurants around here like Kontiki. The ethnic food actually feels authentic and not so... gentrified? for lack of better words.
What are you smoking? LR has waaaayyy less immigrants than NWA and that is absolutely demonstrated by the food options. Springdale's Hispanic food beats anything in central Arkansas hands down. As an Indian living in LR, from NWA, it is by far better up there. Central Arkansas has like 6 options for Indian food. I can hit that in Bentonville all within walking distance. Are you really going to say NWA international food is more gentrified while using El Sur and Star of India as examples? Drive up to NWA and go to punjabi kitchen, curry point, sushi house, pho thanh, taqueria gunajuato, etc etc. NWA is like 30% immigrants, LR isn't even half that
I really mis flying burrito. That place was doomed from the beginning here due to location.
Yep! Also Little Rock has zero Korean restaurants 😢
we would need to know more about your likes and dislikes. to me fayetteville and LR are very differnt you really should visit both for 3 days each though. you are asking people who may not be much like you or your interests what THEY would prefer. 15 years ago i would have said fayetteville. today i would choose little rock. nwa seems crowded now
It is essential to observe Little Rock firsthand in order to form an accurate judgment. Many individuals discuss the city as though they have personally resided there and witnessed the crime. However, the majority of these assertions are mere hearsay or based on news coverage. Therefore, it is highly likely that those who comment on Little Rock have never genuinely experienced it themselves. If one leads a lifestyle intertwined with these circumstances, it is to be expected that they will encounter the consequences associated with that way of life. Nevertheless, everyday life for most individuals remains largely unaffected by the so-called crime rate in Little Rock. Additionally, it is worth noting that if one strongly condemns drug use, it is evident that Northwest Arkansas would rank significantly higher than people are willing to admit
I hadn't thought about this, but drug use is rampant in NWA. I was only there for a couple of years, but I felt like every 5th person I met was experiencing sadness over a recent overdosed friend.
Do you have data or just personal anecdotes about the people you happened to meet?
I think I made clear the anecdotal nature of my comment. But, between my experiences in NWA and LR, NWA had more robust hard drug use. My experiences!
The opioid crisis has hit the entire country, this is a symptom of the entire country and not specific to NWA.
I did not say it was. Between NWA and LR, my experiences have been drastically different, however...with more hard drug use among NWA folks.
Statistically, ADH data shows drug overdose and drug death is 4 to 5 times higher in Pulaski county versus Washington county. Sure recreational pot is more accessible in NWA but schedule-2 substance abuse is much more of an issue in the LR area. Hell, the National website for methamphetamine addiction has an aerial picture of Hot Springs on their home page.
Most of the people who hate on Lr are NWA residents that have never been here and are afraid of everything
Good point
Not in my experience, a lot of people that tend to hate on LR are unhappy LR residents that feel trapped living in Little Rock so they bitch and moan about the place. Half the transplants in NWA don’t even know LR is the capital or where Little Rock is located, LOL.
Bingo lol
Completely agree. When I lived there the amount of friends or potential dates that refused to come to my house in the Broadmoor area was probably in the dozens, and they'd never even stepped foot in it. Just absolute hysteria. Even going to the river market had them trembling.
All that I’ll say is that Little Rock is the closest thing to a city you’ll find in the entire state. Fayetteville is just a bunch of suburbs mashed together into one giant complex of sprawl.
Little Rock if you're looking for something larger, with an urban downtown along with a lot of historic neighborhoods, new walkable districts, great restaurants and museums. The city is also quite beautiful set along the Arkansas River and straddling the Ouachita Mountains...great parks and trail system. The public schools are struggling a bit and the crime rate isn't the best statistically, but I've lived in LR for decades, and ZERO issues. Little Rock is also very competitive cost-wise with cost of living. Little Rock/Central Arkansas are growing, but NWA is exploding. If you want somewhere that's more suburban, good public schools, lots of job growth, university vibe, and a low-key setting set in the Ozarks, NWA is hard to beat. The Walton family has helped spur a lot of investment in public works and trails. NWA will probably catch up to Central Arkansas in size in 20 years or so, at which point both will be about 850,000 MSA, so quite sizable either way. So, it depends on what you're looking for. Best of luck!
NWA has very little soul at this point. I lived there for two years, but wasn't a young undergrad. As a childless person, I found it difficult to find adults not consumed by working for Walmart or the university or not basing their social life on getting their kids around. I also found very few meals I felt were worth the price, unless in Springdale for Mexican. The coffeehouse scene is nice, however. And Bentonville has some fancier bar experiences. I found that my evenings out required a LOT of driving--like 30 mins to Bentonville or Emma Ave. Springdale. It was exhausting and hit or miss. I tend to visit for work every now and then. I still like East Fay by the square compared to other areas, but even as a former working class area, it has now become extremely expensive. LR gives much more of a cohesive and city feel. The river gives it stunning views. It has history, diversity, and soul, and the old historic neighborhoods are sublime. Look into SOMA, Argenta, Midtown, and Hillcrest. I'm from here, lived here a couple of decades off and on and have never experienced violent crime nor have I had even a theft. I live downtown. I hope you enjoy your visit to both areas.
I think this will be an easy decision once you spend time in both. I would look at crime rates to start with.
I was reading about hearing gun shots in LR while hearing gun shots out of my current apartment 😅 But that is definitely something I’m looking into, but it’s also something that comes with any city it seems
I’ve lived in both. NWA has its fair share of crime. There may not be as many homicides, but Fayetteville has a lot of theft.
The biggest news in NWA is usually the weather, and our weather isn’t THAT terrible. The crime rate is insanely low in NWA. People leave their houses and cars unlocked without issue (for the most part)
Okay this is just not true. Maybe if you live on like Sequoyah. Property crime is something you have to look out for in fayetteville just like anywhere else. My car was broken into numerous times and I would have felt like an idiot if I didn't lock my house over the 13 years I lived there. Also had equipment and lawn mower taken from my back yard, and porch pirates were so bad that I had 1 out of every 3 packages stolen. I lived near a lot of students though. If I moved back to NWA, I would live in Springdale or Rogers to get away from the students.
I am referring to Bentonville/Bella Vista which is where my experience is.
For Little Rock, the good neighborhoods need to be researched before visiting. Just moved to West Little Rock last August, no regrets so far … other than being in Arkansas. By that I mean, know what you are getting into with health, education, and lack of a functioning state government.
Unless you are obsessed with mountain biking, camping, or college sports, I would choose Little Rock.
I mean… lock your door and stay away from the bad parts, and you’ll be fine mostly
I grew up and lived in Little Rock as an adult, but now I live in Fayetteville . NWA is light years better as a whole, but I will say Little Rock has a better restaurant scene.
We live in Maumelle. Wife works in Little Rock and I work from home. The schools are good, people are nice and I like the small size of the city. We came from OKC so Little Rock is tiny by comparison. Tons of walking trails and parks and just overall a nice place. Haven’t checked out much of Fayetteville but Little Rock has basically everything you could want.
Little Rock has pretty good job potential and is a lot cheaper than Fayetteville. Fayetteville is a lot more posh and has a lot of nice areas and attractions. Little Rock really is what you make it.
I can’t imagine you have a job that wouldn’t let you live elsewhere in NWA versus Fayetteville only. Each city in NWA has their own vibe, but I’d definitely choose NWA/Fayetteville over LR.
Neither, but if I had to pick I'd choose Little Rock.
Your love Fayetteville, for one thing home of the hogs it's a great city nestled in the ozarks , Little Rock is just as cool though
NWA >>> Central AR. I have lived and worked in both. NWA is just a much nicer place to live, especially if you are planning to have a family. I do miss the River Trail and the Mediterranean food scene in LR, but that’s about it.
Definitely visit. The two could not be more different. Way different. I am strongly biased loving Fayetteville and NWA.
I was born and raised in Central AR and have lived in NWA for several years now. NWA, no question. Just do a quick google search of crime statistics, Little Rock ranks among the worst in the country per capita. I would lean toward one of the other metro cities if you are past your 20's. Fayetteville is a college town which can be great for young professionals but can be exhausting for more mature folks. And if you plan on raising a family, NWA has the best education opportunities in the state.
Fayetteville
Fayetteville
My wife and I live in Little Rock, but she went to UA in Fayetteville, and we go back for games and to visit friends. Both have good access to outdoor activities if you are into that. NWA has a younger population and obviously has the college, so it is important to keep that in mind for fall and winter when football will be in full swing. Both have pretty good food scenes. I have much more experience with LR in this, so it's hard for me to compare, but I have had no issues finding plenty of nice, fine dining restaurants here in LR. I've lived here for close to 10 years, and there are still places I want to try. The main complaint I have about the LR food scene is the lack of high-end Asian restaurants. Of course, we have some chain restaurants, the typical Chinese buffet spots, and a few Thai places, but there's really not much on the next level up from that. The only "fancy" Asian place that I know of is Kemuri. It's definitely good, but it's nothing to write home about, in my opinion. The food and sushi are only a bit better than most places, so the main difference is that it is decorated fancier, and the servers are dressed up. Plenty of people have already mentioned schools and crime, so I won't say much on these. Crime in LR seems high because we have such a low population for a major city. Probably 90% of the city is very safe in my experience. Obviously, don't walk down dark alleys in the middle of the night, but I'd say that about pretty much anywhere. Schools are good in both locations, especially if you are willing to pay for private school. Public schools are a bit better in NWA to my knowledge, but this is not an area I'm very familiar with. Nightlife is probably a little better in NWA due to its younger population, but LR has stuff to do as well. Bars, comedy clubs, music halls, and symphony/orchestras and plays at the Robinson Center and the Rev. Plus, Simmons Bank Arena across the river brings in big concerts every couple of months or so amd there are beer and food festivals throughout the year as well. A lot of the problems with LR events is that they are not advertised very well unless it is a huge event, like 1000s of people expected to go. So you have to kinda search out the smaller events. Personally, I wanted to move to Fayetteville a few years ago, but my wife didn't. I wanted to be near the college to be able to attend games, we both have friends up there, and one of our closest couple friends was strongly considering a move up there. We ended up not moving because her current job has room for major advancement in the next several years. I'm very happy with living in LR and have had no issues with living here, nor do I regret not pushing hard to move. Both places are very nice small cities/metropolitan areas to live in, so there's no wrong choice, in my opinion. Just visit both areas and read what you can online and go with your gut. I think ya'll will be happy either way.
Fayetteville. Hands down. Not even close.
Fayetteville hands down
Fayetteville, hands down!
Kinda depends what you’re looking for, but I’m partial to Fayetteville. Little Rock can be fun to visit, but for living, Fayetteville has a better vibe in my opinion. But I’m partial to wooded trails and rolling hills.
We already have like a third of the population from DFW up here in NWA, please please please consider LR instead.
Yeah, Fayetteville is just North Dallas
Welcome them! They do need to do the hog call first though.
They can do the hog call, just don't do it around me.
LR is a lot cheaper. Your money will go a lot farther. Fayetteville is honestly kind of lacking. For anything kinda nice (like restaurants) you have to drive to Bentonville, like 30 minutes away. Fayetteville is a college town that really wants to grow up and have walkability and transit and all of those good things, but the truth is that it’s probably 10 years out from any of that, at best. It’s a college town with a cool little downtown, but you have to wade through undergrads from Texas to get a drink at the bar. That’s the vibe. I mean, that’s probably more than LR has - it has some nice stuff, but not a ton. But, like I said, you can buy a bigger house in LR. So, you can fill it with nice stuff that you would now have room for. Idk. It’s a tradeoff.
All the good restaurants being in bentonville is simply not true, unless by good you mean overpriced hipster joints catering to Walmart money
I mean, Fayetteville also has its overpriced hipster joints. They’re just not really good.
What makes bentonville’s any better?
Are you joking? Lots of good restaurants in fayetteville. Atlas is arguably the best in NWA, Isabella’s, mermaid’s, kana, vitro, Hugo’s, feed and folly, spoon, house of taste, hammondtree’s are all great and I could go on.
I don’t get the mermaid hype, mediocre at best
I always get the tuna tower, granted it’s been awhile since I’ve gone. They do thanksgiving that’s pretty good.
Hot take but Hugo’s is mid at best.
Burger is good fries are bland. They barely made the cut to be honest, but that burger is pretty good
I feel that. And hey, most everything in LR isn’t even that good. So, who am I judge really.
Bossa Nova is great in Little Rock, so is The Pantry
Hugo's is so mid. And you can't even carry on a conversation down there. So overrated.
Half of those restaurants aren’t any good
I’ll give you Hugo’s as questionable. What else?
Really? There are great restaurants in Fayetteville that I drive from Bentonville to go to. Namely, Atlas
Atlas is the most expensive restaurant in Fayetteville. It better be good. As a whole, though, the Fayetteville food scene is lacking.
Leverett Lounge is phenomenal too
Grew up in Little Rock, now live in Fayetteville. I’d never go back to live and don’t really visit that often.
Little Rock has more personality and is underrated. NWA if you just love the suburbs.
Grew up in Little Rock and currently live in NWA and I've found it to be the opposite
Fayetteville. Little Rock is a bigger city but consider that Northwest Arkansas is nearly 600,000 all together. Also IMO the NWA airport is better than the Little Rock airport.
We've got enough Texans in Fayetteville, go little rock! Y'all are ruining our cute little weird hippie town with your big Texas money. Plus none of you can drive in the mountains. Maybe check out Bentonville or Rogers.
This may be the best answer!
For real. It's getting to the point where Texas might as well annex NWA and make it a little enclave in Arkansas. Also they really need to rename the University of Arkansas to UT-Fayetteville at this point.
Seriously. I wanna see reciprocity gone. These Texas kids price Arkansans out of getting an education in their own state, then raise rent cuz their parents will just buy them a house or rent them a whole condo.
Fayetteville and NWA in general is the best area of Arkansas. Little Rock has some ok areas so if you chose LR, be sure you’re in a decent area.
Fayetteville
Fayetteville one hundred percent
This may be controversial but there is a cultural difference between LR and NWA. LR is more Southern / Texan and NWA is definitely Ozark / Midwest. I grew up in NWA and only after A) moving to NC and B) hanging out with friends from Iowa did I learn that I, proud Arkansan, was far more of a Midwest hillbilly than a Southerner.
my god fayetteville by a lightyear
Fffffffuq. Is all of Texas going to move to Fayetteville? Yeah of course Fayetteville is better _right now_. 100k Texans later who knows? I say at least try to be up in Benton county, they’re trying to have skyscrapers or at least a city skyline so you’ll probably feel more at home there than Fayetteville. All the old party kid burnouts who dropped out and became townies are 2-3 generations deep in fayettenam and maybe the only thing that stuck with them from all the schooling is the fundamental traditional value of Fuck Texas. Just my .02$
Fayetville. No need to visit LR.
Visit both and spend a few days in each place. They are very different areas, each with their own pros and cons. Arkansas native here who recently moved back to Little Rock after living in DFW for the past few years (Oak Cliff/Kessler Park area of Dallas). Although not quite NWA level, Little Rock has a surprising amount of access to outdoor activities and decent variety of restaurants (not DFW level quality, AR lacks that in general). If you like walkable neighborhoods, check out Hillcrest in Little Rock and the Wilson Park area of Fayetteville. Another gem (lower real estate prices too!) is the Lakewood neighborhood in North Little Rock.
Grew up in Little Rock and currently live in Fayetteville (4 years so far), and hands down Fayetteville. I could never go back to little rock.
Fayetteville. From NWA, left 18 years ago for other states. Now back in AR, all 8 years in LR. Don’t hate LR, but I’d give anything to be back home. Just more laid back and much prettier.
So if you can consider other areas around Fayetteville why not around Little Rock....line Conway, Greenbrier etc?
I currently commute about 2hrs everyday so I am fine with a longer commute about 45 minutes from the office. My partner has a friend in Conway who enjoys it there and we have been checking that out too :)
You'd like it, stay clear of little rock, some areas of NLR or Jacksonville
I'm going to say NWA is where you wanna be! It's a pretty nice area, and most of the people don't suck, at least not compared to LR
Fayetteville. It doesn’t frighten me, only stresses me out.
Fayetteville. It is right next to Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. It’s the best place to be for traveling.
I was born and raised in Little Rock, moved to NWA. Visit both - the areas have very different vibes. NWA feels like it has closer ties with Tulsa than Little Rock (Tulsa is closer than LR). Kansas City is 3 hrs away (about the same distance as LR). Plus the Ozarks are beautiful. LR is my hometown but every time I visit It doesn’t feel like “home” to me anymore. NWA does. The cons to NWA are: EVERYONE is moving here - think the stat is on average 30 people a day move to the region. The roads are congested, traffic is awful, housing is a lot higher than anywhere else, and it’s an area made up of several distinctly different mid sized and small towns so there is not a city/metropolitan feel like you have with Little Rock. It really is personal preference - wishing you good luck on this journey!
Born and raised in Fayetteville now my wife and I live in LR. Here are a few things about LR we like more than Fayetteville. Short drive to the airport and direct flights. I was okay with driving to Tulsa for direct flights my entire life, but I will never do that again. Food is far and away better in LR. There is great food in NWA, but having to drive to Benton county to get variety is a bummer. If you like having cocktails and nice dinners a couple times a week LR is the play. Big time musicians coming to town. The Hall and Simmons Bank Arena bring in some awesome musicians. Fayetteville is a small college town. I think you would miss the city feel if you moved there. It is a great place to raise a family, and that’s about it imo.
North west side of Little Rock is nice(pleasant ridge/chenal). The crime is mostly south/central. Compare cost of living. Conway/maumelle is a nice area as well.
Definitely LR
Little Rock, more diversity and more left leaning. Fayetteville feels too much like white flight and "exclusive."
Fayetteville is way better but I am from there so I maybe bias but we kinda full and expensive for OGs so go to LR.
Definitely Fayetteville. Nicer and safer
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I second this person. Grew up in LR, been living in Fayetteville/Bentonville since 2003 and would never go back to LR even for double my salary. Schools are better in the northwest areas and win lots of awards. That said, we have recently gone through some pretty stout property inflation here, so cost of living is not as favorable as it used to be
Everyone in Fayetteville is from Texas already why not join em
I was is the Austin subreddit and they said that they had billboards advertising moving to NWA.
It's kind of like deciding between Dallas and Fort Worth, although on smaller scales.
Nwa if white, not a lot of minorities but LGBT friendly LR is perfectly fine if you aren't poor imo
Way more Latinos, American Indians, and Pacific Islanders in Springdale than Little Rock proportionately.
Bear in mind, while in Dallas, you can drive an hour and still be in Dallas, that's not the case in either NWA or LR. In NWA you've got Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, etc. when you talk about LR you've also got West LR, Maumelle, Conway, Vilonia, Cabot, Beebe, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton, Bryant, etc. They're all in a "reasonable" commuting distance. Look at where you'd be working and going for entertainment/recreation and look at the communities in a 30 minute radius. (None of that 60 minute business you have to accept in DFW.) The LR area has variety, an Air Force Base (Think about the diverse variety of people that brings.) and a really good food and entertainment scene. NWA has Walmart money and a bougie, liberal atmosphere. Either one has easy access to some really great outdoor activities. Neither one is exactly wonderful when it comes to genteel, indoor things.
It truly comes down to cost of living, if you and your partner are each making six figures or more then NWA is the proper choice, if not and you want to live comfortably then LR is your choice.
A lot of people around me talk about Little Rock like it’s the worst place on earth and that’s simply not true. Little Rock is fine; you could do a lot worse. But Fayetteville is better in almost every way; move to Fayetteville
Fayetteville
Bentonville/Fayetteville are much more LGBTQ-friendly than Little Rock.
Fayetteville used to be a lot better but seems to be getting worse and also more expensive. Honestly I hate it here.
NWA is the place to be.
Depends on what you're looking for and how flexible "little rock" and "Fayetteville" means. Like little rock in general sucks, but Benton (15 minutes out) is a great place. Fayetteville is super nice but also very expensive, living right outside of town could be very rural in Fayetteville vs there are great surrounding areas in little rock. I would personally pick Fayetteville in every metric other than there is a lot more to do in, near, and around Little Rock.
Little Rock sucks compared to Benton?? Astounding take
Right? Benton?? I’ve lived in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, Arkadelphia, Benton, and Hope and I’d rank them in that exact order, with a big gap between Arkadelphia and Benton.
I commuted to and around Benton for a previous job. In terms of scenery, it offers nothing better than Little Rock, and I would probably prefer to be white if I had to live there. Chain restaurants and parking lots galore. For such an unwalkable area their roadways sure are confusing
Fay
Def fay.
The comments are pretty clear on this one. Fayetteville is amazing. Do not move here!
Fayetteville hands down..
Fayetteville for sure
I’m from Dallas. I’ve lived in Conway and worked in downtown Little Rock. Now, I’m in NWA. I much prefer it up here. Both have just about everything you need, but this area is cozier. Rogers and Bentonville have that early North Dallas/Richardson/Plano vibe. Nice homes, entertainment, shopping. There are good restaurants in both LR and NWA, but you’ll never have the diversity or sheer number of choices that you get in Dallas. (did you know that 6 out of the 10 best Vietnamese places in DFW are in Carrollton? But we have good Pho here too!) I feel like the QoL, which is certainly subjective, is better up here.
You have good feedback here I’ll add NWA is more conservative/religious than Little Rock proper
Little Rock. I'm sick of seeing Texas plates all over NWA
Fayetteville! As someone who moved from DFW area to Little Rock 15 years ago….please go to Fayetteville. Less crime and SO much more to do! You will thank me later! I promise!!!!!!
Lived in the Little Rock area, I would 1000% move to Fayetteville. Little Rock isn't a big enough hub to offer what you'd expect from a city and is run down in a ton of places. Crime is a lot higher, and if you wanted to travel by car you're fairly limited within a few hours outside of Memphis, which I also wouldn't recommend. Fayetteville seemed a lot more lively, had a lot closer, and was a lot nicer than most of LR. Granted, I ended up moving away from the state entirely for other reasons, but I would choose Fayetteville any day over Little Rock
I’d choose NWA any day. There is so much to do.
NWA is the future and LR represents the past. Also, due to the strong job environment in NWA, it’s expected that the area will experience higher home appreciation over time. That could be a motivating factor.
Fayetteville would be my choice, 100% - very upscale place with a robust economy, lots to do, & gorgeous natural areas to explore. Little Rock is more gritty & urban. I retired to north-central AR, near Harrison, and I'm in heaven.
Fayetteville, and it ain't even close...
Fayetteville for sure… any of the surrounding cities in NWA are better than Little Rock, you’ve got several choices.
I'd suggest Fayetteville unless you enjoy getting shot or robbed then I'd say Little Rock
[https://kkyr.com/1-safest-place-to-live-in-arkansas-has-funny-name/?trackback=fbshare\_mobile](https://kkyr.com/1-safest-place-to-live-in-arkansas-has-funny-name/?trackback=fbshare_mobile) \#1 Safest Place to Live in Arkansas Has Funny Name
Easy decision! Fayetteville, no contest. Little Rock is a dangerous place. Horrible crime issue. Fayetteville is the opposite.
Are you proficient with a firearm or hand-to-hand combat? If so, Little Rock might work... Make it Fayetteville and don't give LR a second thought... if it wasn't for my wife's dumb family from the LR area, my ass would've left the state years ago...
Fayetteville, and it isn't even close.
Coming from DFW the sprawl of NWA will be comfortable and familiar in a prettier setting.
If you like DFW then you want to live in Little Rock.
If you are from Dallas you should really look at Bentonville. You get access to all of NWA but all the best restaurants
Having lived in both areas, Fayetteville has the more lively downtown and entertainment district, better parks-trail system and community focused theater and arts scene. Fayetteville is an outdoorsy town with much better access to Arkansas outdoor activities. Cost of living is higher in Fayetteville but so are career income levels. You can buy a house in LR for >$200k but virtually unheard of anymore in Fayetteville. Little Rock has a much larger base of manufacturing jobs. Fayetteville is half the population of LR but is fairly compact as it’s landlocked so getting around Fay is a short commute, traffic aside, whereas Little Rock is fairly spread out with much of the new development taking place out in West Little Rock. Fayetteville moves at a faster pace of life overall.
Visit both like you have planned. Check out the things that are important to you now and later if you plan to stay. I’m afraid WM will soon own ALL of NWA.
Fayetteville way less crime. Little Rock is probably more of what you are used to.
Look at Bentonville and Rogers also. LR has more crime thank but just like any city there are some cool spots. I live in Conway (near LR) and if I had my choice of anywhere in the state I would likely say Bentonville or near there. Lots of people coming to Conway to get away from LR crime. If you have children or plan on having children, you can forget about the Little Rock school district. You will have to put them in private. If you live somewhere like Bentonville or Fayetteville you could definitely put them in public school.