State comparison
Arkansas vs Georgia: which state is better to live in?
Arkansas costs a median household about $2,200 a year less in state and local taxes than Georgia, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,170 a year against $2,754 in Georgia.
Arkansas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 85
Wins 8 categories
Georgia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Arkansas vs Georgia
Arkansas has a graduated income tax topping out at 3.9%, which works out to 3.6% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,680 a year. Georgia has a flat 5.49% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,722 a year. Arkansas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.60% of home value a year in Arkansas and 0.81% in Georgia (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,170 against $2,754, so Arkansas has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.46% in Arkansas and 7.35% in Georgia; Georgia is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $5,966 a year in Arkansas, $8,120 in Georgia. Arkansas is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Arkansas's cost of living index is 85 and Georgia's is 91, where 100 is the national average; Arkansas is about 7% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $195K in Arkansas and $340K in Georgia (Zillow, 2024), a $145K gap in Arkansas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month in Arkansas and $1,600 in Georgia.
Home insurance averages $2,600 a year in Arkansas and $2,200 in Georgia, so Georgia is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 619 incidents per 100,000 residents in Arkansas and 499 in Georgia (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Georgia is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 24% lower. Property crime is 2,469 per 100,000 in Arkansas against 2,212 in Georgia, again favoring Georgia.
Health
Life expectancy is 73.8 years in Arkansas and 75.2 in Georgia (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.4-year edge for Georgia. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Arkansas's health system 44th of 50 and Georgia's 37th, so Georgia scores better on care.
9.4% of Arkansas residents have no health insurance against 14.1% in Georgia, which favors Arkansas. Arkansas expanded Medicaid and Georgia did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arkansas's K-12 schools 42nd in the country and Georgia's 32nd, 10 places apart in Georgia's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Arkansas went to Trump by 28 points and Georgia was a swing state decided by 2 points.
Arkansas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Georgia has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $11.00 an hour in Arkansas and $7.25 in Georgia.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Arkansas (tornado, flood) and high in Georgia (hurricane, tornado, flood). Annual average air quality index is 35 in Arkansas and 36 in Georgia (under 50 is good), favoring Arkansas.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
Arkansas
6
Georgia
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Arkansas or Georgia better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Arkansas on taxes ($5,966 a year for a median household against $8,120); Arkansas on everyday costs (index 85 against 91); Georgia on safety (499 violent crimes per 100,000 against 619); Georgia on schools (ranked 32nd against 42nd).
Which is cheaper, Arkansas or Georgia?
Arkansas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 85 against 91. The median home is $195K in Arkansas and $340K in Georgia (2024). On state and local taxes Arkansas saves a median household about $2,200 a year.
Does Arkansas or Georgia have lower taxes?
Arkansas. A household earning $74,580 pays about $5,966 a year in Arkansas ($2,680 income tax, $1,170 property tax on the median home and $2,117 in sales tax) and $8,120 in Georgia ($3,722 income tax, $2,754 property tax on the median home and $1,644 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Arkansas or Georgia?
Georgia, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 619 per 100,000 residents in Arkansas and 499 in Georgia; property crime is 2,469 against 2,212.
Which has better schools, Arkansas or Georgia?
Georgia. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arkansas 42nd of 50 for K-12 and Georgia 32nd.
Is Arkansas or Georgia better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Arkansas does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Georgia does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $1,170 a year in Arkansas and $2,754 in Georgia.