Best PlacesIndependence County, AR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in Independence County, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Independence County ranks 2,118th of 3,144 U.S. counties on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a stable housing market by a wide margin, and civic engagement ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Independence County
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Independence County's strengths and weaknesses
Where Independence County ranks high
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 93% of counties
- Cheap childcare$481 a month, better than 93% of counties
- State fiscal healthBetter than 82% of counties
- Short commute19.5 minutes each way, better than 81% of counties
- Low property taxBetter than 80% of counties
Where Independence County ranks low
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 9% of counties
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 14% of counties
- Big-city accessBetter than only 21% of counties
- Nice weatherabout 71 pleasant days a year, better than only 22% of counties
- Household income$59,199 median, better than only 24% of counties
What it costs to buy a home in Independence County
A household needs to earn about $37,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Independence County home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $59,199, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Independence County's effective rate of 0.51%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Independence County
Independence County's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Independence County.
Who works in Independence County, and how
Work in Independence County centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in Independence County
Independence County has fewer places to eat and drink per resident than most counties. That concentrates in some parts of Independence County and thins out in others, which the map shows.
Is Independence County growing, and who is moving in?
Independence County has grown about 3% over the last decade. The largest inbound stream comes from Jackson County, AR.
Where new residents come from
Where people leaving Independence County go
Move counts are the latest county-to-county migration flows, each county grouped into its metro.
What the weather is like in Independence County, month by month
Independence County sees roughly 71 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 49, with lows near 31. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 39° | 31° |
| April | 73° | 61° | 50° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 72° |
| October | 75° | 63° | 52° |
Flying in and out of Independence County
The nearest airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton Ntl/Adams Field, is about 79 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Memphis International, about 104 miles away.
The best schools in and around Independence County
Schools across Independence County average a C+, better than 43% of counties.
Top elementary schools
- Sulphur Rock Magnet SchoolB+ · 52% proficient
- Hillcrest Elementary SchoolB+ · 52% proficient
- Tuckerman Elementary SchoolB · 50% proficient
Top middle schools
- Swifton Middle SchoolB · 47% proficient
- Cave City Middle School Career And Collegiate PreparatoryB− · 41% proficient
- Southside Junior High SchoolB− · 39% proficient
Top high schools
- Concord High SchoolB− · 45% proficient
- Tuckerman High SchoolB− · 42% proficient
- Hillcrest High SchoolC · 33% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Independence County school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Independence County measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Independence County against the other 3,143 counties.
Who Independence County suits
Families
Schools land around the 43rd percentile and crime safety beats 58%.
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 6% already work from home.
Retirees
Set weather, quiet, and health care weights on the map to test the fit.
Common questions about living in Independence County
Is Independence County a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Independence County ranks 2,118th of 3,144 counties. It scores highest on a stable housing market, affordable childcare, and state finances, and lowest on civic engagement and disaster risk. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Independence County expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $145,652. The overall cost of living runs about 18% below the national average. Set against a $59,199 median income, cost of living beats 30% of counties.
Is Independence County safe?
Yes, Independence County is safer than 58% of counties. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $474 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Independence County?
July highs average about 92 degrees, and January highs near 49 with lows near 31. That works out to about 71 pleasant days a year, more than 22% of counties.
Is Independence County good for families?
Schools beat 43% of counties, crime safety beats 58%, and childcare runs $481 a month.
Compare Independence County with other counties
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Independence County. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Independence County represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Independence County detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Independence County: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Independence County: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Independence County: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Independence County: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Independence County detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program: population growth and net migration behind the population-change section.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.