Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Blytheville grades D− overall, ranked 115th of 123 in Arkansas, mostly because of safety and health. Its police reported 141 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 98% of U.S. towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. It also has a long history, with 7 places on the National Register. Blytheville’s violent crime rate is 11.6 per 1,000 residents, above both Arkansas’ towns (3.6) and U.S. towns (1.6). Blytheville is home to Arkansas Northeastern College. Only 15 of Arkansas’ 201 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Blytheville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Blytheville Greyhound Bus Station| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Arkansas Northeastern College | 663 |
Census counts: 302 in 1900, a peak of 24,752 in 1970, 13,406 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1939 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Blytheville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blytheville, 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 Blytheville.
Blytheville has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of Arkansas, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Arkansas rate.
27 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. Only 5 of the 111 Arkansas towns we compare have a higher trail density than Blytheville. The biggest park or preserve is Cypress Park, at 41 acres.
| Blytheville | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 0.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walker Park | 0.7 mi | 40 |
| 2. Cypress Park | 0.3 mi | 41 |
| 3. Mississippi County Fairgrounds | 0.3 mi | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Blytheville School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blytheville Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 343 | – |
| Blytheville High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 369 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 11.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Arkansas rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 35 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Arkansas rate, most of it theft.
The property crime rate in Blytheville is 35 per 1,000 residents. Blytheville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
49% of Blytheville adults sleep under 7 hours. Blytheville beats the Arkansas average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 39% of Blytheville adults get no exercise outside work.
| Blytheville | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 39% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 41% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Blytheville | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 8.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12% | 14.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.7% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 1.9 years of the Blytheville area’s $53K median household income, the typical home (about $102K) costs less against local pay than in 93% of Arkansas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. The typical value, about $102K, is 23% below its February 2021 peak.
The typical Blytheville home is worth about $102,000, up 8.6% in a year, 55% below the Arkansas typical home. 50% of households own their home in Blytheville.
| Blytheville | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $855 a month | $880 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Blytheville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Blytheville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Blytheville’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 5,176 working residents takes 15.5 minutes, against 22.5 across Arkansas.
About one in 3 of Blytheville’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Blytheville has lost 1,190 jobs, to 5,844 in 2023. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 7 have a lower average trip to work than Blytheville.
| Blytheville | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 37% | 21% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (22% statewide). Blytheville has lost 8.8% of its people since 2020, down to 12,227 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 17% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas.
| Blytheville | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.3 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 20% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 26% | 25% | 22% |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Blytheville | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.1% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.7% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 7.9% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1 within 15 miles of the center of Blytheville
About 3 of every 100 Blytheville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
15,620 counted in 2010 and 13,406 in 2020; an estimated 12,227 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 8.8% since 2020, after 14.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 places in Blytheville on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Arkansas, United States
Blytheville is one of two county seats of and the largest city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. It is approximately 60 miles (100 km) north of West Memphis. The population was 13,406 at the 2020 census, down from 15,620 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Blytheville.
| Town | AR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blytheville | #115 | D− | B | D− | C | D− |
| Gosnell | #49 | C | A− | C+ | A | D |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Blytheville grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #115 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 1.9 years of the area's median household income ($52,548 across the Blytheville, AR 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.
