At the end of the day, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is all about finding that sweet spot where you enjoy your job, without it infringing on your enjoyment of your personal life. Finding that balance is difficult, and where you live can have an impact on the direction in which the scales shift. In Arkansas, there are several cities that make achieving an appropriate work-life balance that much easier.
Happiness and satisfaction are the two main characteristics of people who have achieved a work-life balance. With this in mind, we reviewed the following information from the American Community Survey of the Census Department to help determine the best Arkansas cities for a healthy work-life balance:
The shorter the commute time, the better for work-life balance, and the lower the hours worked per week (for full-time employees) the more time they have for personal pursuits. Statistically, people with families live more balanced and happier lives, and everyone appreciates having more to do during their time off.
Each of these key metrics is an indicator of a well-balanced American life. We added up the scores for each criteria, ranked them in order, and then took an average rank across all criteria to find our top cities. Let's take a look at the top Arkansas cities for a healthy and satisfying work-life balance. You may decide that a move is in order!
Source: flickr.com
Located in Northwest Arkansas, the population of Russellville is about 28,297. The average hours worked were 36.1 for full-time employees, with a commute time of 15 minutes, on average. After their short commutes home, the people of Russellville come home to enjoy their families. Sixty-three percent of the population in Russellville has a household size of 2 to 5 people, which plays a large role in the overall satisfaction and balance of the city's residents. Stop by the famous, original Whattaburger for a double cheeseburger and a chocolate shake before you check out the Hourglass Escape Rooms - a trendy new puzzle solving experience and the first of its kind in Arkansas!
Source: flickr.com
In Berryville, Arkansas, home to 5,380 people, the work force works an average of 37 hours in a week. On average the good people of Berryville experienced a commute of just 10 minutes to their work destination. In Berryville the average household is about 2 to 3 people (55%) or 4 to 5 people (19%), making for some delightful family outings. Berryville is famous for its "Cosmic Cavern," carved by underground lakes for millennia. You can also visit the Saunders Museum for a surprising dose of culture and historical context in rural Arkansas.
Source: flickr.com
Springdale is home to 72, 070 people, the majority of whom are a part of 2 to 5 person household - 74% to be exact. These people, on average, work a 38.5 hour work week and commute approximately 20 minutes to their jobs. The slightly longer commute is offset by the city's particularly high "things to do" rating. Springdale is home to Walmart Headquarters, which has attracted other businesses and attractions like Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks. Springdale is an oasis of culture in Northwest Arkansas, and its citizens never run out of things to do between the museums, fine-dining, and shopping.
Source: flickr.com
In Fayetteville, Arkansas, the 78,960 people who live in the city worked about 37.5 hours in the average work week and took around 18 minutes to get to work. Fayetteville is a college town, which means the population is well-educated and has a higher than average percentage of employment. While the college-town vibe means that Fayetteville has a larger percentage of single households, it still has about 63% of its population in 2 to 5 person families. With endless outdoor attractions like Beaver Lake and Devil's Den, the denizens of "Fayette-chill" never run out of things to do outside of work. After a day of chilling, you can liven it up on Dickson Street, where the college town comes to life after dark with live music and entertainment in its many bars and bistros.
Source: flickr.com
Jonesboro's 69,049 population works an average 38 hours per work week, and it takes about 16 minutes to get to their place of work. The majority of homes are 2 to 3 person households, meaning smaller families have the disposable income to enjoy the entertainment options available in the city. Bowling and a night out on Main Street are some of the denizens favorite activities. You can also head out to Craighead Forest Park for walking paths around the lake or deeper hiking trails in the surrounding woods, if you're craving the outdoors.
Source: wikimedia.org
The 10,346 people who live in Batesville, Arkansas, worked 37.4 hours on average. They also have an average commute of just fifteen minutes. With numbers like that, you can see how they achieve work-life balance so easily. Seventy-two percent of the population is comprised of 2 to 5 person families in Batesville, making for a family-friendly night on the town or weekend excursion. The little town of Batesville, Arkansas, has not one, but two museums that keep the denizens busy with a rotation of new exhibits - the Mark Martin Museum and Old Independence Regional Museum, which has interactive exhibits for the children!
Source: flickr.com
Little Rock, Arkansas, is the state capital, and home to 197,357 people. The work force in Little Rock works about 38.9 hours per week, and the average commute time is about 18 minutes. While the fast-paced life of most big cities isn't geared towards a healthy work-life balance, Little Rock residents seem to have found the secret. Families between 2 to 5 people make up 57% of the population, and there is no end to the attractions available in city center. From the Riverwalk and Pinnacle Mountain, to the lively Downtown scene filled with shopping and fine dining, Little Rock's extremely high "things to do per capita" quotient bumped it up the list of Arkansas cities to look out for.
Achieving work-life balance is often a difficult task that takes years of practice. They say surrounding yourself with like-minded people helps you achieve your goals. If that's the case, then living in one of these Arkansas cities may make the task of building a healthy work-life balance a little less daunting.
