Places › Arkansas › Conway

Living in Conway, AR

Small city in Arkansas

Conway is a small city in Arkansas, home to about 66,000 people, with 499,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Conway a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $229k and rents for $1,540 a month
  • Low taxes: about $902 state income tax per resident, 0.6% property tax
  • Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 499,000 people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Conway ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
66,000
499,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
52°F / 90°F
Average daily highs · 2″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$229k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,540/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
89
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$902
State income tax per resident · 0.6% property tax
Safety
1.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
9 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly tornadoes, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
41%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
MEM
141 mi away

Living in Conway: common questions

What is the cost of living in Conway?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $229k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,540 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Conway?

Arkansas collects about $902 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.6% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Conway safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.3× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Conway?

Conway has cool winters: winter days average around 52°F and summer days around 90°F, with roughly 2″ of snow a year.

Does Conway get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from tornadoes, earthquakes and flooding: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.29 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Conway?

The nearest major airport is MEM, about 141 mi away.

How Conway scores

Each bar compares Conway with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Suburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Culture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Excellent
💼Job market Below average
🏥Healthcare Good
🎓Education Average
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Average
⛰️Outdoors Poor
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Moderate crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Average
☀️Sunny Average
🌤️Mild summers Average
✈️Airport Below average

Places like Conway

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Is Conway right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.