Is Walnut Ridge, AR a Good Place to Live?
Walnut Ridge is a small town of 5,411 in Arkansas, with a median household income of $45,950 and a 5.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Walnut Ridge stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Walnut Ridge is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Walnut Ridge city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 85.5Walnut Ridge's overall cost of living index is 85.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Walnut Ridge costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Walnut Ridge, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $87,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $704 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 57.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $45,950 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWalnut Ridge's violent crime rate is 327.6 per 100,000 residents — 14% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Walnut Ridge is served primarily by LAWRENCE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Walnut Ridge, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | LAWRENCE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 82.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Walnut Ridge sees average highs of 44.3°F in January and 87.8°F in July, with 54.3 inches of annual precipitation and 0.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Walnut Ridge, AR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 44.3°F |
| Average High — July | 87.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Walnut Ridge, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,411 | — |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Walnut Ridge
Walnut Ridge, AR is covered by 1 ZIP code: