72118 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72118
72209
Opportunity
57 · Top 45%
vs56 · Top 47%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
68 · Bottom 44%
vs66 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 34%
vs44 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 42%
vs75 · Bottom 43%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 21%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 72118 | 72209 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,913 | 31,607 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,559 | $40,231 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,306 | $19,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 829/sq mi | 1,730/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $123,100 | $98,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,018 | $965 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.2% | 38.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.2% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 13.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.3% | 29.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 244 | 628 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.4% | -35.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.8" | 50.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 21.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 29.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.51 | 18.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.5% | 96.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
72118
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, inland flooding.
72209
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 72118 — North Little Rock, AR · 72209 — Little Rock, AR · How this is calculated: methodology