Places › Arkansas › Texarkana

Living in Texarkana, AR

Small city in Arkansas

Texarkana is a small city in Arkansas, home to about 29,000 people, with 116,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Texarkana a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $204k and rents for $1,370 a month
  • Low taxes: about $902 state income tax per resident, 0.64% property tax
  • Low natural disaster risk: 9 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Dog-friendly: 3 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 116,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 17% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by

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

Key facts

Population
29,000
116,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
56°F / 91°F
Average daily highs · 2″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$204k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,370/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
84
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$902
State income tax per resident · 0.64% property tax
Safety
1.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
9 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hail
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 14 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
17%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
DAL
170 mi away

Living in Texarkana: common questions

What is the cost of living in Texarkana?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $204k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,370 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 84, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Texarkana?

Arkansas collects about $902 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.64% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Texarkana safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.6× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Texarkana?

Public schools in Texarkana test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 14 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Texarkana?

Texarkana has mild winters: winter days average around 56°F and summer days around 91°F, with roughly 2″ of snow a year.

Does Texarkana get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, hail and tornadoes: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.07 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Texarkana?

The nearest major airport is DAL, about 170 mi away.

How Texarkana scores

Each bar compares Texarkana with the other 1,990 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 sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesExcellent
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsPoor
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyModerate crime
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersBelow average
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Texarkana

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Texarkana, TXSmall city39 $218k$1,370/moModerate crime Sumter, SCSmall city39 $205k$1,530/moHigher crime Gadsden, ALSmall city40 $168k$1,120/moNo crime data Hopkinsville, KYSmall city42 $211k$1,870/moSafe Pine Bluff, ARSmall city30 $111k$1,220/moHigher crime Hot Springs, ARSmall city39 $252k$1,390/moHigher crime

Nearby

Texarkana, TXSmall city · 6 mi away39 $218k$1,370/moModerate crime Bossier City, LASuburb · 66 mi away38 $202k$1,460/moHigher crime Shreveport, LAMid-size city · 68 mi away37 $152k$1,460/moHigher crime Longview, TXSmall city · 78 mi away46 $245k$1,610/moModerate crime Hot Springs, ARSmall city · 90 mi away39 $252k$1,390/moHigher crime

See all the best places to live in Arkansas.

Is Texarkana right for you?

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

Take the free quiz →

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.