Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Carlisle’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for safety. Carlisle’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, against 21 minutes in Arkansas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a higher median age than Carlisle. Carlisle has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Carlisle Rock Island Depot and Dairyman's Bank Building. Carlisle has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Carlisle beats most towns.
Carlisle Rock Island DepotEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Carlisle is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 159 in 1880, 2,033 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1986 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carlisle, 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 Carlisle.
At 22 per 1,000 residents, Carlisle’s property crime rate is where Arkansas’ towns sit at 13.6 and U.S. towns at 9.9. The violent crime rate in Carlisle is 2 per 1,000 residents.
| Carlisle | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Carlisle School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 380 | C− |
| Carlisle High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 280 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Carlisle beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 46% of Carlisle adults have high blood pressure.
| Carlisle | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 41% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Carlisle | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.1% | 18.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Carlisle has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Carlisle’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Carlisle home is worth about $179,000, up 4.3% in a year, 20% below the Arkansas typical home. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 8 have a lower median rent than Carlisle. 76% of households own their home in Carlisle.
| Carlisle | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $657 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Carlisle’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Carlisle grew to 788 in 2023, 53 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Little Rock (16%), North Little Rock (6%) and Lonoke (6%).
| Carlisle | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 18% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carlisle City Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
| 2. Rock Island Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Carlisle; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Carlisle residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
City in Arkansas, United States
Carlisle is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. It is the easternmost municipality within the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area. Carlisle was incorporated in 1878. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,033.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
2 notable people were born here, including Maurice Britt and Mitch Petrus.