Jobs, pay and daily life in Fayetteville, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Fayetteville is a city in Arkansas with 99,319 residents. The median household earns $62,695 a year and the median rent is $1,065 a month, which is 20.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan area, where BLS counts 275,180 jobs.
How Fayetteville compares. Among the 60 largest places in Arkansas, Fayetteville is #2 by population, #3 for college degrees (#1 = most), #58 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #8 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Washington County, is #6 of 75 counties for average pay ($59,680).
Fayetteville has 99,319 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.3% of the population of Arkansas. It covers 55 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,814 people per square mile. The median age is 28.8, 25% younger than the state median (28.8 against 38.5).
The median gross rent is $1,065 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% above the state median ($1,065 against $947). Over a year that is 20.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $349,600, which is 5.6 times the median household income ($62,695); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 41.8% of households own their home, 37% below the state average (41.8% against 66.4%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan area has 275,180 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,610 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,610 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (31,250 jobs, median $43,840); transportation and material moving (26,990 jobs, median $41,320); food preparation and serving related (26,710 jobs, median $28,550). The area is most specialised in production (1.4 times) and computer and mathematical (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are computer and mathematical ($104,300) and management ($103,480). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Washington County was 3.1%. 65.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Washington County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.8% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 2.7% walk, 14.9% work from home. 5.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 54% below the state average (5.3% against 11.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
49.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 90% above the state share (49.0% against 25.7%). 6.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 18% above the state share (6.4% against 5.4%). The poverty rate is 20.6%, 29% above the state rate (20.6% against 16.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.5°C). About 1,178 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (151 mm) and Jan the driest (64 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Farmington (5 miles, rent 24% higher); Tontitown (8 miles, rent 26% higher); Springdale (8 miles, similar rent); Prairie Grove (10 miles, rent 9% lower). Rent differences are against Fayetteville; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Arkansas (245) →State guide: ArkansasCountry guideWashington CountyArkansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 245 federal postings open in Arkansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Arkansas →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 590 | 0.97 | $254,690 | $64,330 | $401,360 | -4% |
| Marketing Managers | 810 | 1.16 | $175,260 | $76,370 | $284,510 | +5% |
| Financial Managers | 1,880 | 1.26 | $147,410 | $77,490 | $307,200 | -12% |
| Sales Managers | 1,140 | 1.01 | $147,270 | $65,200 | $292,250 | -1% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,050 | 0.88 | $141,940 | $82,680 | $223,050 | -19% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 670 | 1.54 | $136,410 | $93,490 | $216,570 | +8% |
| Chief Executives | 670 | 1.85 | $134,640 | $57,250 | $570,080 | -37% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 600 | 1.04 | $127,380 | $97,060 | $161,030 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 810 | 0.60 | $126,220 | $71,610 | $325,270 | -21% |
| Information Security Analysts | 620 | 1.85 | $106,200 | $66,000 | $159,990 | -18% |
| Software Developers | 2,490 | 0.83 | $105,130 | $62,940 | $157,820 | -23% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,320 | 1.20 | $104,990 | $53,360 | $207,320 | -26% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 510 | 0.88 | $103,440 | $79,910 | $121,810 | -2% |
| Construction Managers | 690 | 1.03 | $99,320 | $56,290 | $134,680 | -14% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 970 | 0.91 | $98,300 | $53,670 | $166,290 | -21% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 1,350 | 1.47 | $94,860 | $64,490 | $136,980 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 500 | 1.33 | $84,540 | $49,570 | $162,990 | -3% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | 630 | 0.98 | $84,240 | $63,360 | $143,140 | -18% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 2,590 | 1.63 | $83,000 | $43,120 | $159,070 | +5% |
| Management Analysts | 1,320 | 0.83 | $82,790 | $47,420 | $163,530 | -19% |
These figures are for the whole Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,610 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.6% |
| Retail trade | 11.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.8% |
| Manufacturing | 6.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.7% |
| Other services | 4.4% |
| Construction | 4.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.2% |
| Public administration | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fayetteville lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 256,765 | $18,160 million | $70,726 | 120,673 | 7,052 | $59,680 | +2.2% | 3.1% | 144,455 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 17,072 | 16.9% | $60,645 | 0.99 |
| Retail trade | 13,948 | 13.8% | $41,414 | 1.16 |
| Manufacturing | 13,486 | 13.3% | $56,693 | 1.36 |
| Accommodation and food services | 13,299 | 13.1% | $22,658 | 1.21 |
| Construction | 7,925 | 7.8% | $70,844 | 1.25 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,566 | 5.5% | $63,263 | 1.09 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,429 | 5.4% | $41,332 | 0.76 |
| Professional and technical services | 4,960 | 4.9% | $74,005 | 0.59 |
| Management of companies | 4,300 | 4.2% | $153,384 | 2.11 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,110 | 4.1% | $107,675 | 0.86 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,078 | 3.0% | $49,052 | 0.85 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,506 | 2.5% | $87,005 | 0.51 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,686 | 1.7% | $51,978 | 0.90 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,546 | 1.5% | $27,155 | 0.76 |
| Educational services | 936 | 0.9% | $34,498 | 0.38 |
| Information | 908 | 0.9% | $75,241 | 0.40 |
| Utilities | 445 | 0.4% | $109,268 | 0.97 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.8% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 2.7% |
| Work from home | 14.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,695 |
| Income per person | $39,241 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,065 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.4% |
| Median home value | $349,600 |
| Homeowners | 41.8% |
| Poverty rate | 20.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,610 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 3.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 28.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 49.0% |
| Born abroad | 6.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.5 | 35 | 64 |
| Feb | 3.6 | 38 | 67 |
| Mar | 9.1 | 48 | 104 |
| Apr | 14.3 | 58 | 123 |
| May | 19.1 | 66 | 151 |
| Jun | 24.0 | 75 | 108 |
| Jul | 26.8 | 80 | 99 |
| Aug | 26.2 | 79 | 105 |
| Sep | 21.9 | 71 | 96 |
| Oct | 14.9 | 59 | 111 |
| Nov | 8.6 | 47 | 76 |
| Dec | 3.1 | 38 | 74 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington | AR | 5 mi | 9,094 | $90,469 | $1,321 |
| Tontitown | AR | 8 mi | 6,425 | $85,603 | $1,346 |
| Springdale | AR | 8 mi | 88,160 | $69,787 | $1,071 |
| Prairie Grove | AR | 10 mi | 7,798 | $70,701 | $968 |
| Lowell | AR | 13 mi | 10,849 | $95,527 | $1,136 |
| Rogers | AR | 17 mi | 72,981 | $86,728 | $1,270 |
| Bentonville | AR | 20 mi | 58,249 | $112,792 | $1,344 |
| Centerton | AR | 21 mi | 21,920 | $115,713 | $1,465 |
| Siloam Springs | AR | 22 mi | 18,699 | $72,065 | $1,003 |
| Pea Ridge | AR | 26 mi | 8,108 | $95,521 | $1,818 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
99,319 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,065 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.4% of the median household income.
$62,695 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.1% (BLS county, Washington County (latest month 2026M09)).
Arkansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.