Arkansas earned two very different distinctions in CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business rankings this month. The network named Arkansas its Most Improved State. Two days later, it placed Arkansas on its list of the 10 worst states to live in.
Arkansas rose 13 spots to No. 28 in the overall rankings, the biggest improvement of any state. CNBC credited a 23-place jump in the Workforce category, driven by working-age adults moving to Arkansas for lower costs, tax benefits and quality-of-life appeal. The state placed highest in Workforce at No. 13 and Cost of Doing Business at No. 17.
But the same study handed Arkansas a Quality of Life score of 103 out of 290 points, a grade of D minus. That score put the state among the 10 worst places to live in the country, alongside Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Tennessee, which ranked last.
CNBC cited data from the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings showing nearly 19 percent of Arkansas households lack the resources to put adequate food on the table, the worst food insecurity rate in the nation. The measure is based on U.S. Department of Agriculture household food security data. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation last year guaranteeing free breakfast in public schools, but the network said more work remains.
The report also pointed to FBI statistics showing Arkansas has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. In 2024, Arkansas recorded 579 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, the fourth highest rate among states, according to an analysis of FBI data by USAFacts. Only Alaska, at 724 offenses per 100,000, and two other states ranked higher. The Arkansas rate was 61.3 percent above the national average.
Aggravated assaults made up 80 percent of violent crimes reported in Arkansas in 2024. Rapes accounted for 12.1 percent, robberies 6.7 percent and murders 1.3 percent.
The trend line offers some context the CNBC report did not include. Arkansas’s violent crime rate has declined steadily since peaking at nearly 672 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2020, though it remains well above the national figure. Little Rock reported 37 homicides in 2024, a 37 percent decrease from the 64 recorded in 2023.
Crime is not distributed evenly across the state. West Memphis posted the highest violent crime rate of any Arkansas city with at least 10,000 residents in 2024, followed by Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Blytheville and El Dorado.
The FBI itself cautions against using its data this way. The bureau’s longstanding policy discourages ranking cities or states on crime statistics alone, noting that population density, economic conditions and local reporting practices all affect the numbers. An agency that proactively identifies more offenses can appear to have more crime than a comparable one that does not. Rankings like CNBC’s are built from FBI data despite that warning.
The study also cited data from the National Conference of State Legislatures ranking Arkansas among the weakest states for protections against discrimination. Childcare and air quality were listed as Arkansas strengths. Crime, health and inclusiveness were listed as weaknesses.
The apparent contradiction comes down to weighting. CNBC scored all 50 states on 138 metrics across 10 categories of competitiveness, and Quality of Life accounts for 11.6 percent of a state’s overall score. Arkansas’s gains in workforce attraction and business costs outweighed its low quality-of-life marks.
CNBC noted Arkansas still ranks in the bottom half of states overall, with challenges in healthcare, education, technology and food insecurity. The state’s infrastructure ranked No. 23. One Northwest Arkansas realtor quoted in the report said the state’s roads and sewers have not kept pace with growth.
The rankings, now in their 20th year, named Ohio the top state for business in 2026. Hawaii ranked last.
