

Arkansas vs West Virginia
Arkansas comes out ahead of West Virginia on 448 of 806 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 17 ties. Arkansas leads on Agriculture, Sports and Education and 6 more categories. West Virginia leads on Crime & Safety, Tech & Business and Politics & Government and 4 more categories.
806 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 17 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 448
- Avg. percentile
- 41
- Categories led
- 9
- Wins
- 341
- Avg. percentile
- 39
- Categories led
- 7
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Arkansas | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,133,502 33rd of 51 | 1,764,892 39th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $60,773 48th of 51 | $59,608 50th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.1% 29th of 51 | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 16.0% 46th of 51 | 16.7% 48th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 86.9 1st of 51 | 89.5 9th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $55,219 38th of 51 | $50,051 50th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $54,890 50th of 51 | $56,470 49th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $947 3rd of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 531.8 48th of 51 | 241.7 20th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 3,393 11th of 48 | 5,067 22nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureArkansas · 17 statistics
- SportsArkansas · 17 statistics
- Crime & SafetyWest Virginia · 72 statistics
- EducationArkansas · 51 statistics
- HealthArkansas · 191 statistics
- Tech & BusinessWest Virginia · 48 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentWest Virginia · 126 statistics
- GeographyArkansas · 25 statistics
- Facts & TriviaArkansas · 18 statistics
- LawWest Virginia · 68 statistics
- EnvironmentArkansas · 39 statistics
- CultureWest Virginia · 79 statistics
- EconomicsArkansas · 300 statistics
- TravelArkansas · 29 statistics
- PopulationWest Virginia · 124 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyWest Virginia · 36 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Arkansas | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Heroin Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 0.19% 1st of 51 | 0.62% 49th of 51 |
| Opioid Death RateOpioid Epidemic by State | 13.9 per 1k pop. 4th of 51 | 48.9 per 1k pop. 51st of 51 |
| ROI Potential RankFarming-Friendly States | 4th 4th of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Avg Annual WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State | $128,130 4th of 49 | $72,720 48th of 49 |
| Avg Hourly WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State | 61.6 4th of 49 | 34.96 48th of 49 |
| Drug Deaths Per 100kHealthiest States | 16.8 6th of 51 | 77.8 51st of 51 |
| Total ScoreBest States to Homeschool | 81 4th of 50 | 28 tied 47th of 50 |
| Other Drug Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State | 48.55 6th of 51 | 78.32 49th of 51 |
| Laws and Regulations RankBest States to Homeschool | 7th 7th of 50 | 45th tied 45th of 50 |
| Overall RankBest States to Retire | 47th 47th of 50 | 7th 7th of 50 |
| Safety RankBest States to Retire | 46th 46th of 50 | 6th 6th of 50 |
| Annual Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $192,400 5th of 39 | $145,300 36th of 39 |
| Hourly Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $92.50 5th of 39 | $69.86 36th of 39 |
| Maximum Local Sales Tax RateSales Tax by State | 6.13% 33rd of 38 | 1% tied 2nd of 38 |
| Lyme Disease CasesTick Population by State | 5 tied 5th of 50 | 3,233 45th of 50 |
| Billionaires' Net WorthMost Billionaires by State | $71.8B 8th of 42 | $1.6B 41st of 42 |
| % of Personal Income Coming from Child SupportChild Support Percentage by State | 9.1% 47th of 51 | 14.4% 7th of 51 |
| Cocaine Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State | 435.06 9th of 51 | 810.73 49th of 51 |
| CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 tied last of 48 | 2 tied 3rd of 48 |
| One Percent Income ShareTop 1 Percent Threshold by State | 21.5% 12th of 51 | 13.1% 51st of 51 |
| LPC License FeeLPC Requirements by State | $50.00 tied 1st of 46 | $220 tied 37th of 46 |
| SSI Legislative Accountability ScoreMost Corrupt States | 50.1 46th of 50 | 71.3 tied 8th of 50 |
| Hourly Median WageDentist Salary by State | $96.41 5th of 39 | $62.25 34th of 39 |
| Avg Income of Top 0.01% FamiliesIncome Inequality by State | $26.6M 13th of 51 | $6.57M 51st of 51 |
| Opioid Use Rate (Per 100k)Opioid Epidemic by State | 1,827.36 13th of 51 | 4,203.17 51st of 51 |
| 1996-2022 Change Adjusted For InflationTANF Benefits by State | -45.0% tied 4th of 48 | 18.0% 45th of 48 |
| Average EBRW SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | 609 13th of 51 | 474 50th of 51 |
| Crime RateCrime Rate by State | 2,509 per 100k 42nd of 51 | 1,411 per 100k 5th of 51 |
| Health Care RankDisability Benefits by State | 42nd tied 42nd of 51 | 6th 6th of 51 |
| DMV FeesCar Dealer Fees by State | $51.00 5th of 51 | $792 41st of 51 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Arkansas or West Virginia?
- Arkansas comes out ahead of West Virginia on 448 of 806 statistics where one end is better, to 341 with 17 ties. Arkansas leads on Agriculture, Sports and Education and 6 more categories. West Virginia leads on Crime & Safety, Tech & Business and Politics & Government and 4 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Arkansas or West Virginia?
- Arkansas has a population of 3,133,502 (33rd of 51 US states) and West Virginia has 1,764,892 (39th of 51).
- How do Arkansas and West Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Arkansas $60,773 (48th of 51), West Virginia $59,608 (50th of 51) among US states. Arkansas ranks better.
- How do Arkansas and West Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Arkansas 4.1% (29th of 51), West Virginia 4.2% (tied 30th of 51) among US states. Arkansas ranks better.
- Where does Arkansas beat West Virginia most clearly?
- Arkansas ranks far ahead on Heroin Use Past Month (Drug Use by State): 0.19% vs 0.62%; Opioid Death Rate (Opioid Epidemic by State): 13.9 per 1k pop. vs 48.9 per 1k pop.; ROI Potential Rank (Farming-Friendly States): 4th vs 50th.
- Where does West Virginia beat Arkansas most clearly?
- West Virginia ranks far ahead on Overall Rank (Best States to Retire): 7th vs 47th; Safety Rank (Best States to Retire): 6th vs 46th; Maximum Local Sales Tax Rate (Sales Tax by State): 1% vs 6.13%.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Arkansas or West Virginia.
- Alabama vs Arkansas
- Alaska vs Arkansas
- Arizona vs Arkansas
- Arkansas vs California
- Arkansas vs Colorado
- Arkansas vs Connecticut
- Arkansas vs Delaware
- Arkansas vs District of Columbia
- Alabama vs West Virginia
- Alaska vs West Virginia
- Arizona vs West Virginia
- California vs West Virginia
- Colorado vs West Virginia
- Connecticut vs West Virginia
- Delaware vs West Virginia
- District of Columbia vs West Virginia