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Living in Arkansas · 2026

Is $36,000 enough to live in Arkansas?

Single adult · AR · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$2,459

Avg monthly expenses

$1,747

Avg monthly surplus

$712

Savings potential

~29%

After-tax take-home in Arkansas

Gross salary$36,000
Federal income tax− $2,214
State income tax− $1,522
Social Security− $2,232
Medicare− $522
Annual take-home$29,510
Effective tax rate18.03%

How $36,000 feels in Arkansas cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Little Rock

COL index: 0.83× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$900
Food
$383
Transport
$145
Utilities
$137
Healthcare
$166
Total: $1,731/mo
Surplus: $728/mo
Rent burden: 36.6% — High (35–50%)
Full Little Rock analysis →

Fort Smith

COL index: 0.77× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$780
Food
$370
Transport
$135
Utilities
$127
Healthcare
$154
Total: $1,566/mo
Surplus: $893/mo
Rent burden: 31.7% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Fort Smith analysis →

Fayetteville

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$396
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,937/mo
Surplus: $522/mo
Rent burden: 42.7% — High (35–50%)
Full Fayetteville analysis →

Springdale

COL index: 0.89× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,020
Food
$392
Transport
$156
Utilities
$147
Healthcare
$178
Total: $1,893/mo
Surplus: $566/mo
Rent burden: 41.5% — High (35–50%)
Full Springdale analysis →

Jonesboro

COL index: 0.80× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$850
Food
$374
Transport
$140
Utilities
$132
Healthcare
$160
Total: $1,656/mo
Surplus: $803/mo
Rent burden: 34.6% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Jonesboro analysis →

Conway

COL index: 0.82× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$880
Food
$378
Transport
$144
Utilities
$135
Healthcare
$164
Total: $1,701/mo
Surplus: $758/mo
Rent burden: 35.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Conway analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $2,459 ($29,508/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,230

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$738

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$492

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$14,754

Wants / year

$8,852

Savings / year

$5,902

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Little Rock

Rent would consume 37% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 6.9/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $36,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Little Rock, Arkansas, with approximately $728/month (~30% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Due to Little Rock's low cost of living (index: 0.83), $36,000 here has the purchasing power of roughly $80,241 in San Francisco or $84,578 in New York City. Your dollar goes significantly further here.

State & National Benchmark

$36,000 is slightly above the Arkansas individual median of $31,200 (+15%). The state household median is $52,528.

State individual median

$31,200

+15%

State household median

$52,528

-31%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$36,000 vs. Arkansas income benchmarks

Individual median (Arkansas)

$31,200

+15% vs. this salary

Household median (Arkansas)

$52,528

-31% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Arkansas

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.