Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Decatur’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 4 of Arkansas’ 201 towns score higher on cost of living. Decatur has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Kansas City-Southern Depot-Decatur. Decatur has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Decatur beats most towns.
Kansas City-Southern Depot-DecaturWhere Decatur’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Decatur is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Decatur, 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 Decatur.
Its public schools are run by the Decatur School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Northside ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 278 | B |
| Decatur High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 173 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
At 5.3 per 1,000 residents, Decatur’s violent crime rate is above both the Arkansas town median (3.6) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6).
| Decatur | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Decatur for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Decatur fell to 530 in 2023, 757 fewer than in 2013. At $45,000, Decatur’s median household income is against $55,000 in Arkansas’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns.
| Decatur | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
39% of Decatur households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.4% in the year to September 2026. Decatur’s median rent is $813 a month.
| Decatur | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 39% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $813 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Decatur has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Decatur is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Decatur beats the Arkansas average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 16% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Decatur. Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Decatur.
| Decatur | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 41% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Decatur | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.5% | 18.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.8% | 4% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.6% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Decatur.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Edmiston Park, at 39 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Edmiston Park | — | 39 |
| 2. Decatur Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Decatur
About 5 of every 100 Decatur residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
2 places in Decatur on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Arkansas, United States
Decatur is a city, in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,773 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region. This town is named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.
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+.
