Little Rock Metro at a Glance

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas and the global brand of a 12-county region, home to more than 1 million people living within a 50-mile radius of downtown and within driving distance of several comparable-sized cities.

Little Rock, “La Petit Roche,” got its name from the 1682 Robert La Salle expedition, when the party led by the French explorer landed on the south bank of the Arkansas River. 

Little Rock became the seat of Arkansas’ new territorial government in 1821 and was incorporated as a city in 1831. It was named capital of the newly admitted State of Arkansas in 1836. 

Centrally located, with four distinct seasons, Little Rock has a daily mean temperature of 62.6 degrees and an annual precipitation of 49.6 inches. Downtown, where the Southeast meets the Southwest and the Delta becomes the mountains, is 286 feet above sea level with some residential areas rising 300 to 360 feet.

Metro Area by the Numbers

203,842
Population
U.S. Census Bureau

$691 million
Major industry investments in 2024
Little Rock Regional Chamber

$59,762
Median household income
U.S. Census Bureau

1,200
Miles of cycling and walking trails
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau

2.7%
Little Rock Unemployment Rate
Bureau of Labor Statistics (April 2022)

38
Median Age 

No. 41
Best Cities to buy a house
niche.com

$938
Average monthly rent
Apartments.com

$211,683
Average home cost
zillow.com

18 minutes
Average Commuting Time
U.S. Census Bureau

3,097
Hours of sunshine per year 
usclimatedata.com

No. 25
The South’s Best Cities
Southern Living

16
Public School Students Per Teacher
niche.com

Cost of Living

Arkansas has the second-lowest cost of living in the United States, approximately 14% lower than the rest of the country. Arkansas is among the 10 states with the lowest property tax rates, and Arkansans spend 8.7% less on energy costs than other Americans.

The cost of living in Little Rock is…

• 3.6% less than Austin, Texas
• 7.6% less than Dallas, Texas
• 4.9% less than Nashville, Tenn.
• 15.8% less than New Orleans, La.
• 2.6% less than Atlanta, Ga.
• 4.4% less than Charlotte, N.C.

Average Home Price

• National average: $507,800
• Little Rock: $211,683
• Austin: $515,342
• Dallas: $308,434
• Nashville: $429,694
• New Orleans: $236,526
• Atlanta: $390,834
• Charlotte: $393,552

Fast Facts:

• The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport served more than 2.2 million passengers in 2023.
• 2.5% of Arkansas’s annual GDP comes from outdoor recreation, a $4.5 billion industry in the Natural State.
• Little Rock feeds into two major interstate highways: I-30 from Little Rock to Fort Worth, Texas, and I-40, from North Carolina to California.
• More than 5,000 acres in Central Arkansas are dedicated
  to public parks.

Weather

• Average annual high temperature: 73°F
• Average annual low temperature: 52°F
• Days per year with precipitation: 102
• Annual precipitation: 49.57 inches
• Annual hours of sunshine: 3,097

Nonstop Flights From LIT

2.2 Million Passengers Annually