Little Rock receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Little Rock
San Antonio
Opportunity
77 · Top 12%
vs54 · Bottom 48%
Growth
49 · Bottom 41%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 32%
vs46 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 19%
vs78 · Top 30%
Access
90 · Bottom 16%
vs95 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 20%
vs49 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Little Rock | San Antonio | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 203,436 | 1,479,835 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,003 | $65,056 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,712 | $33,929 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,678/sq mi | 2,966/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $236,400 | $235,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,106 | $1,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.5% | 52.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.2% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.6% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 628 | 4,295 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.9% | -28.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.4" | 32.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.2 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 34.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Little Rock
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, inland flooding.
San Antonio
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Little Rock
65
Your Score
66
Area Score
San Antonio
63
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Little Rock, AR · San Antonio, TX · How this is calculated: methodology