Arkansas has a whole lot to offer. From natural beauty found nowhere else on Earth, to cities with history that will leave you in awe, to some of the best food in the nation if you know where to look, this state is pretty darn fantastic. That also makes this state pretty exciting—in some places more than others.
Well, lucky for y’all, picking those most exciting places is exactly what the
Movoto Real Estate Blog decided to do with our most recent top 10 list. So we gawked at some amazing pictures, crunched some numbers, and got a list of the most interesting, entertaining, and fun-packed places in the state.
The most thrilling places in
Arkansas were:
1.
City of Little Rock
2.
City of Paragould
3.
Town of Camden
4.
City of Fort Smith
5.
City of Mountain Home
6.
City of Hot Springs
7.
City of El Dorado
8.
City of Bentonville
9.
City of Fayetteville
10.
City of North Little Rock
Now, we know you’re probably not too shocked by the No. 1 place, but what about those others? How did they get there? And where does your hometown rank? You can answer that last question by scrolling to the bottom of this article to see all the places we analyzed. And if you’re still curious how we got these results, just read on to the next section.
It might be math, but we think it’s still pretty exciting.
How We Created This Ranking
To start, we made a list of all the places in the state over 10,000 people, which gave us a total of 39 places. Then, we used the 2010 U.S. Census and local business listings to collect data we considered important to excitement. Those criteria were:
- Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
- Live music venues per capita
- Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, gyms, etc.)
- Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.)
- Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better, because fast food is boring)
- Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
- Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
- Population density (the higher the better)
From there, we ranked each place in each criteria, from one to 39, with scores closer to one being more exciting. Then, we averaged each place’s rankings into one
Big Deal Score. The lower the number, the more thrilling the place was ranked, and our No. 1 happened to be Little Rock.
But enough about our methods. Let’s look a little closer at how each of these top 10 places earned the right to be called the most exciting in the state.
1. Little Rock
Come on, you knew this city was going to come in first, didn’t you?
There was a ton of arts here, a staggering amount of nightlife, and plenty of music venues for those who just want to rock the night away.
If you’re looking for something a little less party oriented, you can also check out the Little Rock Climbing Center where becoming one with the rock is a breeze.
The most interesting part of this place might be the people, though. The ninth highest percent of young people certainly give this place a youthful vibe. The other standout score was the fifth best non-fast food restaurant ranking, for all you foodies out there.
Did we mention the BBQ here is to die for? If you don’t want to take our word for it, or are just hungry, head on over to the Whole Hog Cafe or Sim’s Bar-B Que and you should have all the proof you need.
2. Paragould
Much smaller than our first place city at merely 26,113 people, Paragould was still a very close second.
The population here was considerably older, with only 18 percent of the population being between the ages of 18 and 34. All this proves, however, is that the older crowd definitely still knows how to party.
The nightlife ranked eighth, featuring places like Skinny J’s, and the population density here ranked seventh. So if you’re out and about at night, chances are you’re bound to run into someone fun to paint the town red with.
The food here was also pretty stellar, ranking fourth for lack of fast food and seventh for non-fast food restaurants per capita. Still, if you had to pick one place, it’s hard to go wrong with the Brick Oven Pizza Co.
3. Camden
If you thought our second place city was a little small, this one is sure to raise a few eyebrows.
The smallest spot in our top 10 at only 12,183 people, this place has all the small town charm you could ask for, as well as all the unique thrills if you know where to look.
To start, this place had the highest population density on our list, so seeing friends for good times is an easy feat. And heck, you can always meet up with everyone you know at the Daffodil Festival each spring.
It also didn’t hurt that this spot had the seventh youngest population, with nearly a quarter of the people here being between the ages of 18 and 34.
It’s impressive how good the nightlife and restaurant options were here, and you can check out Postmaster’s Grill to find out if Camden really knows what quality food it. Spoiler: it does.
4. Fort Smith
This city is kind of a musical wonderland. Between the Fort Smith Symphony, The Fort Smith Community Brass Band, the Fort Smith Chorale, and the seventh most music venues on our list, it’s pretty obvious why. The nightlife here was also good, ranking fifth on our list.
Still, that wasn’t the only reason this place was exciting. Fort Smith had the eighth youngest population and the sixth highest population density, so there are a ton of lively youngsters packed in pretty tight. That’s a recipe for fun.
Speaking of recipes, we don’t know what exactly they put into the quesadillas at Rolando’s Restaurante, but locals think it’s superb. If you want something a little more romantic, you can always hit the 21 West End and split some crème brulee.
5. Mountain Home
Another little city at only 12,448 people, Mountain Home proved that even smaller places know how to bring the fun.
This place wasn’t as young as others, and it was a little heavy on fast food, but it still had some pretty awesome numbers to back up this ranking.
The arts here were strong, ranked fourth, and the nightlife also scored well thanks to Arena Sports Bar & Grill. The restaurants here fared well, featuring delectable eateries like Dusit Thai Cuisine.
The big standout here, however, was the active life ranking. Mountain Home had the most active life options per capita, so if you like bowling, working out, parks, and boating, you’ve found your city soulmate here.
6. Hot Springs
This place is simply fantastic. While you might not think of spas as exciting, these are special.
Historic buildings, inexpensive treatments, unique massages and baths, and some of the most beautiful outdoor settings you can immagine make this a must see city. Did we mention that the outdoor settings also feature boiling hot fountains and streams? Yeah, those exist.
But there’s more. The most music venues per capita, the third most nightlife per capita, and the fourth best non fast-food rankings mad this place an easy pick for excitement. There were also plenty of art options and a lack of fast food for any health nuts.
Really, the only reason this place didn’t rank higher is that it had a low population density and the oldest population on our list. Still, those factors didn’t stop this place from being unique, fun, and completely enchanting.
7. El Dorado
This little city really was kind of gilded when it came to the thrills department.
A local community college helped to keep the population young, with almost 29 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 34. It also probably helped with the second best music venues per capita and the ninth best nightlife.
The active life was a little lacking, and there were more fast food restaurants than other places in our top 10, but with a student budget and finals to cram for, those numbers kind of make sense.
Besides, it’s easy to ignore all those fast food places when you have the roasted red pepper soup at Fayrays just calling your name. Yum!
8. Bentonville
If museums are something you find exciting, you definitely need to take a look at Bentonville.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Walmart Museum, and the Museum of Native American Artifacts all make their home in this fine city.
Let’s say you want something with more energy. That won’t be a problem, considering that this place had great scores across the board. Bentonville had the 10th best nightlife, the eight best arts, and the 12th best active life ranking.
On top of that, this place had the ninth best non fast food restaurants. From nigiri at Sushi House to Nutella treats at Crepes Paulette, this city has something for every palate.
9. Fayetteville
Yeah, this place is awesome. The most nightlife per capita, the fourth most music venues per capita, the fifth most active life options, and the third highest arts really kept this place as a top 10 contender.
Did we mention that it was home to the University of Arkansas? That probably has to do with a lot of those scores. Well, that and the Arkadia Retrocade for any gamers in the area, oldschool or otherwise.
10. North Little Rock
It ranked way down the list from its first place neighbor, but this mid-sized city was still pretty freakin’ exciting.
Don’t believe us? Well, the 11th fewest fast food places, and 10th best non-fast food restaurants probably speak for themselves. Okay, at least the Mayan Mocha at Mugs Cafe speaks for itself.
From there, the scores were still pretty great. The nightlife per capita ranked seventh, the arts ranked 11th, and the music venues ranked 14th. For the cultured and the partygoers alike, that spells excitement.
Also, if you're looking for something unusual, you have to stop by The Old Mill. Beautiful and rustic, this looks like a place straight out of a Disney movie, and offers a change of pace from busy city living.
Where Having Fun Just Comes Naturally
If you’ve ever been to Arkansas, you know that the culture is unique, the settings are picturesque, and the food is to die for. And now you know where to go if you’re looking for the most thrills and fun per capita.
We salute our top 10 exciting spots, and look forward to seeing what new and fun things you’ll come up with for locals in years to come.
Arkansas has a whole lot to offer. From natural beauty found nowhere else on Earth, to cities with history that will leave you in awe, to some of the best food in the nation if you know where to look, this state is pretty darn fantastic. That also makes this state pretty exciting—in some places more than others.
Well, lucky for y’all, picking those most exciting places is exactly what the
Movoto Real Estate Blog decided to do with our most recent top 10 list. So we gawked at some amazing pictures, crunched some numbers, and got a list of the most interesting, entertaining, and fun-packed places in the state.
The most thrilling places in
Arkansas were:
1.
City of Little Rock
2.
City of Paragould
3.
Town of Camden
4.
City of Fort Smith
5.
City of Mountain Home
6.
City of Hot Springs
7.
City of El Dorado
8.
City of Bentonville
9.
City of Fayetteville
10.
City of North Little Rock
Now, we know you’re probably not too shocked by the No. 1 place, but what about those others? How did they get there? And where does your hometown rank? You can answer that last question by scrolling to the bottom of this article to see all the places we analyzed. And if you’re still curious how we got these results, just read on to the next section.
It might be math, but we think it’s still pretty exciting.
How We Created This Ranking
To start, we made a list of all the places in the state over 10,000 people, which gave us a total of 39 places. Then, we used the 2010 U.S. Census and local business listings to collect data we considered important to excitement. Those criteria were:
- Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
- Live music venues per capita
- Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, gyms, etc.)
- Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.)
- Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better, because fast food is boring)
- Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
- Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
- Population density (the higher the better)
From there, we ranked each place in each criteria, from one to 39, with scores closer to one being more exciting. Then, we averaged each place’s rankings into one
Big Deal Score. The lower the number, the more thrilling the place was ranked, and our No. 1 happened to be Little Rock.
But enough about our methods. Let’s look a little closer at how each of these top 10 places earned the right to be called the most exciting in the state.
1. Little Rock
Come on, you knew this city was going to come in first, didn’t you?
There was a ton of arts here, a staggering amount of nightlife, and plenty of music venues for those who just want to rock the night away.
If you’re looking for something a little less party oriented, you can also check out the Little Rock Climbing Center where becoming one with the rock is a breeze.
The most interesting part of this place might be the people, though. The ninth highest percent of young people certainly give this place a youthful vibe. The other standout score was the fifth best non-fast food restaurant ranking, for all you foodies out there.
Did we mention the BBQ here is to die for? If you don’t want to take our word for it, or are just hungry, head on over to the Whole Hog Cafe or Sim’s Bar-B Que and you should have all the proof you need.
2. Paragould
Much smaller than our first place city at merely 26,113 people, Paragould was still a very close second.
The population here was considerably older, with only 18 percent of the population being between the ages of 18 and 34. All this proves, however, is that the older crowd definitely still knows how to party.
The nightlife ranked eighth, featuring places like Skinny J’s, and the population density here ranked seventh. So if you’re out and about at night, chances are you’re bound to run into someone fun to paint the town red with.
The food here was also pretty stellar, ranking fourth for lack of fast food and seventh for non-fast food restaurants per capita. Still, if you had to pick one place, it’s hard to go wrong with the Brick Oven Pizza Co.
3. Camden
If you thought our second place city was a little small, this one is sure to raise a few eyebrows.
The smallest spot in our top 10 at only 12,183 people, this place has all the small town charm you could ask for, as well as all the unique thrills if you know where to look.
To start, this place had the highest population density on our list, so seeing friends for good times is an easy feat. And heck, you can always meet up with everyone you know at the Daffodil Festival each spring.
It also didn’t hurt that this spot had the seventh youngest population, with nearly a quarter of the people here being between the ages of 18 and 34.
It’s impressive how good the nightlife and restaurant options were here, and you can check out Postmaster’s Grill to find out if Camden really knows what quality food it. Spoiler: it does.
4. Fort Smith
This city is kind of a musical wonderland. Between the Fort Smith Symphony, The Fort Smith Community Brass Band, the Fort Smith Chorale, and the seventh most music venues on our list, it’s pretty obvious why. The nightlife here was also good, ranking fifth on our list.
Still, that wasn’t the only reason this place was exciting. Fort Smith had the eighth youngest population and the sixth highest population density, so there are a ton of lively youngsters packed in pretty tight. That’s a recipe for fun.
Speaking of recipes, we don’t know what exactly they put into the quesadillas at Rolando’s Restaurante, but locals think it’s superb. If you want something a little more romantic, you can always hit the 21 West End and split some crème brulee.
5. Mountain Home
Another little city at only 12,448 people, Mountain Home proved that even smaller places know how to bring the fun.
This place wasn’t as young as others, and it was a little heavy on fast food, but it still had some pretty awesome numbers to back up this ranking.
The arts here were strong, ranked fourth, and the nightlife also scored well thanks to Arena Sports Bar & Grill. The restaurants here fared well, featuring delectable eateries like Dusit Thai Cuisine.
The big standout here, however, was the active life ranking. Mountain Home had the most active life options per capita, so if you like bowling, working out, parks, and boating, you’ve found your city soulmate here.
6. Hot Springs
This place is simply fantastic. While you might not think of spas as exciting, these are special.
Historic buildings, inexpensive treatments, unique massages and baths, and some of the most beautiful outdoor settings you can immagine make this a must see city. Did we mention that the outdoor settings also feature boiling hot fountains and streams? Yeah, those exist.
But there’s more. The most music venues per capita, the third most nightlife per capita, and the fourth best non fast-food rankings mad this place an easy pick for excitement. There were also plenty of art options and a lack of fast food for any health nuts.
Really, the only reason this place didn’t rank higher is that it had a low population density and the oldest population on our list. Still, those factors didn’t stop this place from being unique, fun, and completely enchanting.
7. El Dorado
This little city really was kind of gilded when it came to the thrills department.
A local community college helped to keep the population young, with almost 29 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 34. It also probably helped with the second best music venues per capita and the ninth best nightlife.
The active life was a little lacking, and there were more fast food restaurants than other places in our top 10, but with a student budget and finals to cram for, those numbers kind of make sense.
Besides, it’s easy to ignore all those fast food places when you have the roasted red pepper soup at Fayrays just calling your name. Yum!
8. Bentonville
If museums are something you find exciting, you definitely need to take a look at Bentonville.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Walmart Museum, and the Museum of Native American Artifacts all make their home in this fine city.
Let’s say you want something with more energy. That won’t be a problem, considering that this place had great scores across the board. Bentonville had the 10th best nightlife, the eight best arts, and the 12th best active life ranking.
On top of that, this place had the ninth best non fast food restaurants. From nigiri at Sushi House to Nutella treats at Crepes Paulette, this city has something for every palate.
9. Fayetteville
Yeah, this place is awesome. The most nightlife per capita, the fourth most music venues per capita, the fifth most active life options, and the third highest arts really kept this place as a top 10 contender.
Did we mention that it was home to the University of Arkansas? That probably has to do with a lot of those scores. Well, that and the Arkadia Retrocade for any gamers in the area, oldschool or otherwise.
10. North Little Rock
It ranked way down the list from its first place neighbor, but this mid-sized city was still pretty freakin’ exciting.
Don’t believe us? Well, the 11th fewest fast food places, and 10th best non-fast food restaurants probably speak for themselves. Okay, at least the Mayan Mocha at Mugs Cafe speaks for itself.
From there, the scores were still pretty great. The nightlife per capita ranked seventh, the arts ranked 11th, and the music venues ranked 14th. For the cultured and the partygoers alike, that spells excitement.
Also, if you're looking for something unusual, you have to stop by The Old Mill. Beautiful and rustic, this looks like a place straight out of a Disney movie, and offers a change of pace from busy city living.
Where Having Fun Just Comes Naturally
If you’ve ever been to Arkansas, you know that the culture is unique, the settings are picturesque, and the food is to die for. And now you know where to go if you’re looking for the most thrills and fun per capita.
We salute our top 10 exciting spots, and look forward to seeing what new and fun things you’ll come up with for locals in years to come.
