Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
0% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades A, 9th among Arkansas's 123 graded towns. The median household earns $114K and its schools outperform 82% of the state's. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On safety, just 5 of Arkansas’ 149 towns do better. Austin's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 80% of U.S. towns. On health, just 8 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do better.
Where Austin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,038 counted in 2010 and 3,460 in 2020; an estimated 4,017 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 16.4% since 2020, after 69.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Austin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
![Institutional structures by Gilbert.] [Sketches](https://images.townratings.com/story/1017/f638c987c7cc2bc66e13-l.jpg)
Census counts: 196 in 1900, a low of 123 in 1930, 3,460 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and a map from 1982 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Austin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Austin.
Austin fares better on crime within Arkansas than nationally, has less heart disease than most of Arkansas and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Arkansas.
No town among the 123 in Arkansas we compare has a higher FEMA risk score than Austin.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Austin has 140 jobs for its 1,409 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
1.6% of Austin residents live below the poverty line, against 18% in Arkansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 3 have a higher median household income than Austin. 0.6% of working residents work locally in Austin.
| Austin | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.6% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $114,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its widest gap with Arkansas is heart disease: 3.6% of its 2,350 adults have heart disease, against 7.7% statewide. Within Arkansas it is healthier than 94% of the 123 graded towns: much of Arkansas scores lower on these measures.
Austin beats the Arkansas average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 6.7% of Austin adults have diabetes. No town among the 123 in Arkansas we compare has a higher share of adults who binge drink than Austin.
| Austin | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Austin | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.6% | 7.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.9% | 4% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.8% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 10.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 96% of Arkansas’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Austin is 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Austin | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Cabot weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 209 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 82% of Arkansas places with climate records.
Austin has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Austin’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Austin home is worth about $246,000, up 4.6% in a year, 10% above the Arkansas typical home. Among 122 Arkansas towns, just 10 have a higher median rent than Austin.
| Austin | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,335 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Austin
About 6 of every 100 Austin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
Where Austin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Arkansas, United States
Austin is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,460 as of the 2020 census and an estimated 4,027 as of 2024. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Austin.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Austin grades A overall, better than 85% of U.S. towns and #9 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($67,154 across the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.