Arkansas’s 20 Safest Cities of 2023

The SafeWise Team is pleased to release the ninth annual Safest Cities report.

See if your city made the full list.

Arkansas leads the nation in violent crimes per 1,000 people and has the fifth-highest rate of property crime. Compared to the average American, Arkansans reported lower levels of concern about violent crime and property crime despite also reporting a higher rate of first-hand experiences.

Arkansas has the highest violent crime rate (7.1 per 1,000 people) and the fifth-highest property crime rate (26.5) in the US.

Violent crime increased by nearly 6% in The Natural State year over year, and property crime increased by about 1%.

According to our latest State of Safety survey, 51% of Arkansas respondents felt safe in their state, which is 1 percentage point higher than the national sentiment.

Residents of Arkansas are among those most likely to think that crime is on the rise, with 73% of Arkansans sharing this perspective.

However, Arkansas residents feel less concerned about violent crime and property crime than their neighbors in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Arkansans also reported a lower rate of first-hand experiences with gun violence and package theft compared to those states. 

This year we asked our State of Safety survey participants about their natural disaster concerns, preparations, and experiences. Arkansans were most concerned about strong or high winds (63%) and least concerned about hurricanes (40%). Arkansans' concerns typically matched national sentiment.

Arkansans indicated they were less prepared than the average American for a natural disaster. Around 34% said they had a family emergency plan (US 40%), 38% had an emergency kit (US 44%), and 38% had taken no disaster preparedness actions (US 32%). 

About 7% of Arkansans said they evacuated due to a natural disaster in the previous 12 months, which is lower than the national average of 11%.

We asked Arkansas residents which crimes they worry may happen to them. See if Arkansans are concerned about the same crime issues as the rest of the country. 

View the complete 2023 State of Safety report.

Most Arkansas residents think crime is increasing, which matches the nearly 6% increase in the violent crime rate the FBI reported. Arkansans we surveyed claimed they personally experienced a 35% increase in violent crime compared to the previous year. 

• Violent crime accounts for 21% of all crime in Arkansas, which is 4 percentage points higher than the national average.
• Aggravated assault represents 81% of all violent crime in Arkansas, which is 9 percentage points higher than the national average.
• 49% of Arkansans reported using some form of personal protection (US 39%), with pocket knives leading the way at 59%.
• 42% of Arkansas residents say their personal safety has been affected by the pandemic, which is 2 percentage points lower than the national average.

• 48% of Arkansans are concerned about gun violence (47% US).
• 9% reported an experience with gun violence in the 12 months prior to being surveyed (12% US).
• Survey respondents’ gun violence experiences decreased 9% year over year.
• Arkansas experienced 5 mass shootings during the reporting year—the same number as the previous year.
• Of the Arkansans who use some form of personal protection, 33% said they use concealed firearms (41% US).

Property crime rates increased in Arkansas year over year, representing a 37% increase over the national average.

• Burglary accounts for 18% of all property crime in Arkansas, which is 4 percentage points above the national average. 
• Motor vehicle thefts account for 11% of all property crime in Arkansas, which is 3 percentage points lower than the national average.
• Of the Arkansans who use some form of property protection, most rely on security cameras (41%), firearms (37%), or guard dogs (36%).
• Arkansans tend to align with the average American in terms of package theft prevention, with 30% choosing verified delivery (27% US) and 27% using doorbell cameras (28% US). 
• 24% of Arkansas residents say the security of their property has been affected by the pandemic, which is 4 percentage points lower than the national sentiment.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 87 cities in Arkansas met the criteria for ranking.
• Piggott moved up 4 places to top this year's list.
• Piggott, Pottsville, Austin, Brookland, Vilonia, and Cherokee Village reported 5 or fewer violent crimes. 
• 90% of Arkansas’s safest cities reported 0 murders. Gentry reported 1 murder and Bentonville reported 2. 
• Property crime rates decreased year over year in 14 of Arkansas’s 20 safest cities while violent crime rates decreased in 9. Austin, Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge, Cherokee Village, Bentonville, Gravette, and Dardanelle saw decreases in both categories.
• Bentonville—the most populous of Arkansas’s safest cities—accounts for 37% of the property crime and 37% of the violent crime reported by all 20 cities.
• Gentry, Gravette, and Dardanelle are the only safest cities with violent crime rates higher than the national average. 

We calculated crime rates for every city in the state that met our population threshold, based on the state’s median population as calculated using FBI data. To request a report of the remaining cities in your state email info@safewise.com with the subject line: Safest Cities Full Report.

NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2021.

• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Home Security Cameras
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• Burglary Stats & Facts
• The Most Burglarized City in Every State
• The Best Personal Safety Devices for Every Situation
• The State of Safety in America in 2022

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed February 6, 2023.

• 2021 and 2020 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2021 NIBRS Estimation Tables

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement [2019]." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed February 6, 2023.

US Census Bureau, "2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables." Accessed February 6, 2023.

US Census Bureau, "2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables." Accessed February 6, 2023.

SafeWise, "2022 State of Safety survey." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "General Methodology." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "Past Summary Ledgers." Accessed January 3, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "Congress."

• 2022 totals: Accessed January 3, 2023.
• 2021 and 2020 totals: Accessed December 19, 2022.