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Downtown Memphis from Big River Crossing, West Memphis, ARJoshua J. Cotten / Unsplash

Moving to West Memphis, Arkansas

West Memphis pays new residents up to $10,000 through Start Fresh in West Memphis. Here is what life costs in Crittenden County, home of West Memphis, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $10,000Paid to move hereStart Fresh in West Memphis
  • $160,200Typical home value1Crittenden County
  • $911Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 46,210Population-4.1% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to West Memphis

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Arkansas

Something to know about West Memphis

Did you know?

Big River Crossing, which opened October 22, 2016 on the 1916 Harahan Bridge, links Main Street in West Memphis to Memphis and was the longest public pedestrian and bike bridge across the Mississippi when it opened.

Source: CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, read November 2026

A fact about West Memphis

What it costs to live in West Memphis

Crittenden County next to Arkansas and the US.1
MeasureCrittenden CountyArkansasUnited States
Typical home value$160,200$188,000$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,286$1,345$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$911$947$1,413
Typical household income$55,358$60,773$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners57.4%66.4%65.2%
Households with broadband86.2%86.7%91.0%
Average commute, one way23 min23 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $880 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Memphis area (West Memphis, AR)

Jobs and work in Crittenden County

  • 14,122Jobs at local employers2023, +0.2% vs 2022
  • 844Employer businesses2023
  • 4,566Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 86.2%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

62.3% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 22.5 minutes, and 17.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 96 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from West Memphis

1 of West Memphis's 2 programs requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in West Memphis

Notable places in Crittenden County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Beautiful Lake
  • Bushy Lake
  • Avondale Park
  • Hood Lake
  • Lake Deloche

Colleges and universities

  • Mid-South Community College

Thinking about West Memphis? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to West Memphis: questions people ask

Does West Memphis pay you to move there?

Yes. Start Fresh in West Memphis: $10,000 cash; Careers Around West Memphis: $10,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in West Memphis?

In Crittenden County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $160,200 and median gross rent is $911 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Arkansas: $188,000 and $947. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $880 a month (our arithmetic).

Is West Memphis a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Crittenden County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 4.1% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide; Start Fresh in West Memphis helps with that: Two free hotel nights while you house hunt..

Can I work remotely from West Memphis?

86.2% of households in Crittenden County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 2 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 1 has a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in West Memphis?

Notable places in Crittenden County include Beautiful Lake, Bushy Lake, Mid-South Community College. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page