Real Dollar Value
Alabama stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $114.62 of local goods and services in Alabama, compared with $113.40 in Arkansas.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
Alabama vs Arkansas: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in Alabama: about $114.62 in local buying power versus $113.40 in Arkansas, a $1.22 gap.
Alabama
AL • South
$114.62
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Arkansas
AR • South
$113.40
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Visual Comparison
Alabama
$114.62
Arkansas
$113.40
Difference: $1 — Alabama leads.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
Arkansas has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in Arkansas (86.1) than in Alabama (87.2), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
Alabama has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. Alabama has a median household income of $54,943, versus $52,123 in Arkansas.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
Arkansas also looks cheaper on the cost index
Arkansas's cost-of-living index is 87.6, compared with 88.6 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
Alabama vs Arkansas: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Alabama has a purchasing power of $100 of $114.62, compared with $113.40 in Arkansas. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Alabama
$114.62
Arkansas
$113.40
Difference
$1
People Also Ask
Alabama vs Arkansas Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is Alabama's purchasing power of $100?
Alabama's purchasing power of $100 is $114.62.
Q What is Arkansas's purchasing power of $100?
Arkansas's purchasing power of $100 is $113.40.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — Alabama or Arkansas?
$100 goes further in Alabama: about $114.62 in local buying power versus $113.40 in Arkansas, a $1.22 gap.
More Comparisons: Alabama vs Arkansas
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.