Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety50#465/924
Economy18#761/925
Housing39#567/925
Health22#723/925
Healthcare60#371/923
Environment53#435/917
Education32#627/925
Infrastructure31#643/925
Community15#788/925
Leisure & amenities78#206/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

New business applications · high22.6 /1k
96/100Arkansas 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · high2.6%
94/100Arkansas -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · low0.47%
88/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high6.8 /10k
87/100Arkansas 3.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low10.9%
84/100Arkansas 13.2%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · low129 /100k
83/100Arkansas 532 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$48,452
4/100Arkansas $62,146United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Average weekly wage · low$905
4/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
6/100Arkansas 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
6/100Arkansas 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Depression · high28.7%
9/100Arkansas 25.3%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high20.6%
9/100Arkansas 20.7%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 80% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+80 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
7.7 /1k (2020) → 22.6 /1k (2025)
+196%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
46.2% (2010 & 2021) → 59.0% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.6% (2015-2019) → 87.2% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
2,946 /100k (2019) → 1,227 /100k (2024)
−58%5 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,761 /100k
Violent crime rateImproving
289 /100k (2020) → 129 /100k (2025)
−56%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area improved on 15 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

New businesses+196%7.7 /1k → 22.6 /1k
Suicides−58%45.6 /100k → 19.3 /100k
Firearm deaths−52%40.8 /100k → 19.4 /100k
Violent crime−56%289 /100k → 129 /100k
Broadband+13 points74.6% → 87.2%

Declined5

Commute+3.2 min16.2 min → 19.4 min
Rent burden+11 points40.6% → 51.4%
Uninsured+2.7 points7.5% → 10.1%
Rent / income+4 points26.7% → 30.7%
Price / income+0.4×3.2× → 3.6×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.3 /10k2020	6.7 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	85%
Average commute time	16.2 min2015-2019	19.4 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Declined	4%
Average weekly wage	$7312020	$9052025	+24%	Improved	55%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.9%2015-2019	19.4%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	74.6%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	82%
Child poverty rate	17.6%2015-2019	23.2%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Distance to an airport	84 mi2020	84 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	16.1 /100k2020	10.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−37%	Improved	65%
Effective property tax rate	0.53%2015-2019	0.47%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Firearm deaths	40.8 /100k2020	19.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−52%	Improved	99%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	79%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	79%
High school diploma or higher	88.7%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	51%
Homicide rate	10.2 /100k2020	4.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−56%	Improved	82%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,7232019	$58,1922024	+27%	Improved	18%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4522015-2019	0.4762020-2024	+0.024	Within the margin of error	11%
Median household income	$42,2602015-2019	$48,4522020-2024	+15%	Improved	4%
New business applications	7.7 /1k2020	22.6 /1k2025	+196%	Improved	99%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−3%	Little change	61%
Poverty rate	13.1%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−2.1%	Little change	46%
Rent as share of income	26.7%2015-2019	30.7%2020-2024	+4 points	Declined	6%
Rent-burdened households	40.6%2015-2019	51.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Declined	3%
Restaurants and bars	9.6 /10k2020	9.5 /10k2025	−0.6%	Little change	43%
Suicide rate	45.6 /100k2020	19.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−58%	Improved	99%
Traffic deaths	20.3 /100k2015-2019	17.9 /100k2020-2024	−11%	Improved	79%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	4.4%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	16%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.5%2015-2019	10.1%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Declined	4%
Violent crime rate	289 /100k2020	129 /100k2025	−56%	Improved	96%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area itself moved −2.4 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

42,407 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

19,348 households (±450)

Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k22%4,274
$25k–50k29%5,621
$50k–75k18%3,401

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

19,348 households (±450)

Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%14,549
Rent25%4,799

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

14,456 workers (±732)

Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%10,950
Carpool14%1,966
Public transit0.0%†2

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Mountain Home, AR has 1,125 employer establishments, 263 for every 10,000 residents (1.06× the US rate of 248), with 14,397 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,151. The Census Bureau also counts 3,639 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,125; 3,639 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 263; US 248
Paid employees: 14,397
Average annual pay: $47,151; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Mountain Home, AR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	150	35.1	1.68×More than typical	1,255	$60,825	236
Restaurants and other eating places	79	18.5	1.01×About typical	1,284	$18,715	24
Specialty trade contractors	68	15.9	1.03×About typical	386	$43,238	392
Offices of other health practitioners	57	13.3	2.19×More than typical	310	$43,477	66
Offices of physicians	54	12.6	1.95×More than typical	429	$86,802	43
Lessors of real estate	45	10.5	0.85×About typical	212	$30,665	408
Full-service restaurants	38	8.9	1.16×About typical	592	$20,110	10
Services to buildings and dwellings	38	8.9	1.32×More than typical	154	$32,818	316
Religious organizations	33	7.7	1.39×More than typical	165	$25,339	—
Construction of buildings	32	7.5	0.99×About typical	131	$44,038	154
Limited-service restaurants	30	7	0.88×About typical	607	$18,030	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	27	6.3	1.25×More than typical	127	$44,087	63

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 42,746 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $13.5M on contracts performed in Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area: $314 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $13.5M; −42% vs FY2025
Per resident: $314; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 46%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$13M97%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$360.4K2.7%
Drug Enforcement Administration$67.2K0.5%
Federal Acquisition Service$24.6K0.2%
Forest Service$6,5000.0%

Top recipients

CONSOLIDATED LAND SERVICES, INC.$10.4M77%
VOITH HYDRO INC$1.2M9.1%
OLGOONIK GENERAL, LLC$659.8K4.9%
WRIGHT BROS LLC$367K2.7%
MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC$163.2K1.2%

Spending by fiscal year

6.3MFY2017
3.4MFY2018
11.8MFY2019
9.5MFY2020
13.9MFY2021
58.4MFY2022
16.3MFY2023
11.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$10.4M77%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2M15%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$407K3.0%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$277.1K2.1%
Justice, public order, and safety activities · 9221$125.9K0.9%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345

Largest awards

TURBINE REHABILITATION AND GENERATOR REWIND, NORFORK LAKE, DAM AND POWERHOUSE, WHITE RIVER BASIN, BAXTER COUNTY, ARKANSAS. COMPLETION IS EXPECTED NLT 1,975 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF NOTICE TO PROCEED.$55.9M
VOITH HYDRO INC· Baxter County, AR· Construction & real property· Sep 22, 2022 – May 22, 2026· W9127S22C0005
ARCHITECT-ENGINEER SERVICES MULTI AWARD TASK ORDER CONTRACT SPECIFICALLY FOR PROFESSIONAL FIELD SURVEYING SERVICES, TO INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AND TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, AND BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE FOR CIVIL PROJECTS.$5.8M
CONSOLIDATED LAND SERVICES, INC.· Baxter County, AR· Construction & real property· Apr 23, 2026 – Apr 23, 2026· W9127S26FA078
CONDUIT SERVICE SLUICE GATE REHABILITATION, BULL SHOALS DAM. CLINS 0001 - 0006 COMPLETION EXPECTED WITHIN 713 DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF NTP. DATES ON CAR ARE ONLY ESTIMATES.$5M
BCI CONSTRUCTION USA, INC.· Baxter County, AR

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $421.9M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area: $9,816 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $421.9M; −3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9,816; US $12,955
Loan face value: $22.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$272.5M65%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$48.5M11%

Counties in Mountain Home, AR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Baxter CountyCentral county3442,982

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Mountain HomePrincipal city13,108

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Areas based in Arkansas, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M34260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Mountain Home, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Mountain Home, AR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates