5 Surprising Reasons Conway is the Best City to Live in Arkansas
Searching for a place that combines college-town energy, affordable living, and the kind of community where people still wave at strangers (yes, really)? Then grab your moving boxes.
We are not saying that Conway, Arkansas is perfect. But once you discover why 72,000+ people call this place home, (and why the population keeps growing faster than kudzu in July) you might just become one of them.
Conway isnât trying to be Little Rock. Itâs not trying to be Fayetteville. Itâs doing its own thing, and honestly?
That thing is working out pretty well.
Dubbed âThe City of Colleges,â Conway has quietly become Arkansasâs fastest-growing city, and there are some very good reasons why.
1. Three Colleges Mean This City Never Gets Boring (Or Old)
Conway earned its âCity of Collegesâ nickname the old-fashioned way, by having three of them.
University of Central Arkansas
Hendrix College
Central Baptist College
These 3 educational centers call Conway home, bringing with them over 14,000 students and all the cultural perks that follow.
What This Means (Even If Youâre Not a Student)
Hereâs the thing about college towns: they force a city to stay on its toes.
You get:
Year-round cultural events: The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (the stateâs only professional Shakespeare company, thank you very much) performs annually, while the Conway Symphony Orchestra and various campus arts programs ensure thereâs always something happening beyond Netflix
Coffee shops that actually care about their coffee: Because college students and professors have high standards for caffeine delivery systems
A younger median age (29.6 years): Which means the city stays innovative and doesnât get stuck in its ways
Educated workforce: Over 40% of Conway adults have college degrees, making it one of the most educated cities in Arkansas
The presence of these institutions also means the city has legitimate theater, art galleries, and the kind of intellectual diversity youâd expect from a place where ideas are literally the main product.
UCAâs Public Appearances program alone brings dance, music, and theater to town throughout the year, and you donât even need a student ID to enjoy most of it.
2. Your Wallet Will Actually Survive Here
Letâs talk money, specifically, the money youâll keep in your bank account.
Conwayâs cost of living is significantly lower than the national average, and weâre not just talking about saving a few bucks on groceries.
The Numbers Donât Lie
Median home value: Around $258,000 (compared to the national average of $370,000)
Median rent: Approximately $795 per month
Unemployment rate: Just 2.07%, which means jobs are actually available
Median household income: $58,461 and rising
What does this mean in practical terms? It means a teacher or nurse can actually afford to buy a house here.
It means young professionals arenât hemorrhaging half their salary to rent.
It means you might (brace yourself) have money left over after paying bills each month.
Pretty revolutionary in this day and age, right?
On top of all this, Conwayâs proximity to Little Rock (just 30 miles south) means you can access big-city amenities and job opportunities while enjoying Conwayâs lower cost of living.
Plenty of Conway residents commute to Little Rock for work but come home to a place where they can actually afford to live comfortably.
The average commute time? A completely reasonable 22 minutes (Compare THAT to Atlanta and L.A. - Hah!)
3. The Worldâs Only Festival Named After Drunk Toads!
Any city in the world can have a food festival or an art fair, but Conway has Toad Suck Daze.
Since 1982, this three-day festival has taken over downtown every May, drawing over 100,000 visitors and zero shame about its endearing name.
The Legend Behind the Name
Back when steamboats traveled the Arkansas River, crews would dock near Conway when the water wasnât deep enough to continue.
While waiting, theyâd refresh themselves at the local tavern to such excess that locals said they âsucked on the bottle âtil they swelled up like toads.â
Hence: Toad Suck.
The tavernâs long since gone, but the legend lives on, and Conway has fully embraced it, absorbing it into the townâs history and culture.
What to expect
Free admission: not everything needs to cost $50 to walk through the gate
Live music: local bands to national acts, multiple stages keep the entertainment flowing
World Championship Toad Races: exactly how it sounds, and more delightful than youâd expect
Educational focus: The festival has raised over $2 million for scholarships, funding education for hundreds of Faulkner County students
Toad Suck Daze is Arkansasâs largest festival, and it represents something important about Conway: this city doesnât take itself too seriously, but cares for its people very seriously.
The fact that a festival with such a bonkers name has funded college education for hundreds of students? Thatâs Conway in a nutshell.
4. Nature is Basically in Your Backyard
If youâre the outdoorsy type (or even the âI might go outside occasionallyâ type), Conway delivers.
The city sits in a naturally beautiful part of Arkansas, surrounded by lakes, rivers, and parks that make weekend recreation embarrassingly easy.
The Outdoor Roster
Lake Conway: The largest man-made Game and Fish Commission lake in the United States spans 6,700 acres and is a bass fishing paradise.
Beaverfork Lake: Perfect for water recreation, swimming, and pretending youâre on vacation without leaving town
Cadron Settlement Park: A National Historic Site on the Arkansas River with a Trail of Tears memorial, restored blockhouse, and excellent fishing spots
Toad Suck Park: Because of course thereâs a park named Toad Suck, offering scenic views at the lock and dam
15+ city parks: Conway has been implementing a âpark-friendly growth strategy,â meaning even as the city expands, green spaces are protected and enhanced
Whether youâre into kayaking, hiking, fishing, or just sitting by water while contemplating lifeâs mysteries, Conway has you covered.
Unlike some cities where you need to drive an hour to reach nature, here itâs woven into the cityâs fabric.
5. Itâs Growing, But It Hasnât Lost Its Soul
Hereâs the tricky part about being the fastest-growing city in Arkansas: you have to grow without becoming a soulless sprawl of strip malls and chain restaurants.
Conway is threading that needle remarkably well.
The Growth Numbers
Conwayâs population has grown by over 12% since 2020, adding more than 6,000 residents. In 2023 alone, the city grew by 2.9%, ranking it 38th nationally among growing municipalities.
Thatâs some serious expansion, and itâs driven by factors like affordable housing, quality schools, and job opportunities in technology and healthcare.
What Makes It Work
Conwayâs downtown hasnât been bulldozed for a mega-mall or big-box names.
Instead, itâs a thriving mix of local businesses, antique shops, boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops that give the city real character.
The downtown area is walkable, hosts the Toad Suck Daze festival, and remains the heart of the community.
The city also benefits from major employers like Acxiom (founded right here in Conway in 1969), and a strong healthcare sector providing good jobs without requiring everyone to work in the same industry.
This economic diversity creates stability and opportunity.
The School System Actually Delivers
Conway Public Schools serves about 10,000 students across 16 locations, making it the eighth-largest district in Arkansas.
More importantly, schools are highly rated, with many teachers holding advanced degrees and National Board Certification.
For families, this is huge, youâre not faced with the disheartening choice of sacrificing your kidsâ education for affordability.
The Bottom Line
Conway isnât trying to compete with cities like Austin or Nashville, itâs not trying to become the next big thing. In fact, itâs perfecting the art of being a mid-sized city that offers genuine quality of life.
Affordable housing
Good schools
Cultural amenities
Outdoor recreation
Conway is a city and although its growing quickly; a community that still feels like a community.
Does this mean absolute perfection? Well, no. Thatâs a tough call for any city.
Traffic is getting busier as the population grows, and youâll need a car to get around.
Nightlife may not rival the glitz and selection of a major metro area, and if you need truly specialized shopping or services, Little Rock might still your best bet.
But for people who want to own a home without working three jobs, raise kids in good schools, and live in a place that has both college-town energy and small-city charm, Conway hits the sweetest of sweet spots.
And letâs face it, any city that names its biggest festival after drunk toads and uses it to fund college scholarships clearly has its priorities straight.
Come for the affordable cost of living, stay for the toad races.
That is Conway, Arkansas, and honestly? It might just be Arkansasâs best-kept secret!
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