Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pea Ridge is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B+ overall, 16th of 123 graded towns in Arkansas, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $96K. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 75% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $344K, 4.2 years of the Fayetteville metro’s $82K median household income. On health, just 15 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Pea Ridge has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Shady Grove School and Miller Homestead.
Where Pea Ridge beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pea Ridge Primary School | PK–2 | 587 |
| Pea Ridge Intermediate School | 3–4 | 399 |
| Pea Ridge Junior High School | 7–9 | 643 |
Miller Homestead4,794 counted in 2010 and 6,559 in 2020; an estimated 11,233 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 69.9% since 2020, after 36.8% 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 Pea Ridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 72 in 1940, 6,559 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pea Ridge, 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 Pea Ridge.
Pea Ridge fares better on crime within Arkansas than nationally, looks healthier within Arkansas than nationally and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Arkansas.
At $1,818 a month, Pea Ridge’s median rent is against $875 a month in Arkansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 78% of households own their home in Pea Ridge. The typical Pea Ridge home is worth about $344,000, up 1.7% in a year, 54% above the Arkansas typical home.
| Pea Ridge | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,818 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Pea Ridge School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pea Ridge High School, with 597 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea Ridge Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 587 | – |
| Pea Ridge Junior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–9 | Grades 7–9 | 643 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here grew from 600 in 2013 to 1,041.
Most working residents leave Pea Ridge for work: only 5% work in town. 3.2% of Pea Ridge residents live below the poverty line, below both Arkansas’ towns (18%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). 17% of Pea Ridge workers work from home.
| Pea Ridge | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 17% | 6.1% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median household earns $95,521, against $60,773 across Arkansas, one input to its A for jobs and income.
Children under 18 are 32% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (18% statewide). Pea Ridge has grown 70% since 2020, to 11,233 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Pea Ridge’s median age is 33.4 years.
| Pea Ridge | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 32% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 33.4 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 20% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Pea Ridge | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 21.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.2% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.7% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.3% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Bentonville 4 S weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 195 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 85% of Arkansas places with climate records. The Bentonville 4 S weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 46 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 87% of Arkansas places with climate records.
Pea Ridge has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Pea Ridge is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Arkansas it is healthier than 90% of the 123 graded towns: much of Arkansas scores lower on these measures. Its widest gap with Arkansas is tooth loss: 10.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.6% statewide.
Pea Ridge beats the Arkansas average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Pea Ridge.
| Pea Ridge | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pea Ridge | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.1% | 18.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12% | 18.5% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.1% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 17.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 84% of Arkansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Just 12 of its 5,344 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Pea Ridge itself; its outdoors grade is D.
0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Pea Ridge | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 0.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pea Ridge City Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pea Ridge. Close and well known come first.
6 mi MuseumCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art
22 mi LandmarkChrist of the Ozarks
26 mi Stadium & arenaDonald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
3 mi National Military ParkPea Ridge National Military Park132K visitors a year
27 mi Stadium & arenaBud Walton Arena
30 mi National BattlefieldWilson's Creek National Battlefield371K visitors a yearCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Charvex, CC0 · Christ of the Ozarks: Bobak Ha'Eri, Public domain · Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium: Bobak at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Pea Ridge National Military Park: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bud Walton Arena: ~ (The Rebel At) ~, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wilson's Creek National Battlefield: National Park Service, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pea Ridge
About 3 of every 100 Pea Ridge residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
Where Pea Ridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Pea Ridge on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Arkansas
Pea Ridge is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The name Pea Ridge is derived from a combination of the physical location of the original settlement of the town, across the crest of a ridge of the Ozark Mountains, and for the hog peanuts or turkey peas that had been originally cultivated by Native American tribes centuries before European settlement, which later helped to provide basic subsistence once those pioneer settlers arrived. The rural town is best known as the location of the pivotal American Civil War engagement the Battle of Pea Ridge, or, as it is locally known, the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, which took place approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of the town. The site …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Pea Ridge grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #16 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades B+ for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
