The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates count about 99,319 people in Fayetteville, with a median household income of $62,695. Compare personal loan offers by APR and total cost, confirm every fee in dollars, and check the lender's Arkansas license. Your own income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for.
On this page
- Key figures
- Work and pay in Fayetteville
- Who lives in Fayetteville
- Fayetteville labor market
- What a typical Fayetteville household can carry
- What the numbers suggest about borrowing in Fayetteville
- How Fayetteville compares
- How Fayetteville stacks up against nearby towns
- Getting to know Fayetteville
- A typical Fayetteville scenario
- Before you borrow in Fayetteville
- More nearby
- Frequently asked questions
Key figures
Figures are American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates for the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas, with margins of error. They describe the place, not you.
Work and pay in Fayetteville
In Fayetteville, 29% of employed residents work in education and health care, 14% in arts, entertainment, lodging and food service and 12% in retail. One lean worth noting: education and health care, which employs 29% of Fayetteville residents compared with 23% in the median place. What matters for you is how steady your own paycheck is, not the city average, so bring recent pay stubs.
At the top of the scale, 10% of Fayetteville households earn $200,000 or more; at the bottom, 28% earn under $35,000. Our U.S. city median is 39% at $100,000 or more and 20% under $35,000. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, is 0.50. Income spread also shapes rent and prices: when many households earn more, local costs tend to follow.
Who lives in Fayetteville
Residents of Fayetteville have a median age of 28.8; 49% of adults 25 and older have at least a bachelor's degree, and 5% did not finish high school. Measured against the U.S. city set (median age 37.2, 37% with degrees), Fayetteville is younger and above the typical education share. A younger population often means more renters and more movers, both common reasons to borrow.
Of every 100 homes in Fayetteville, about 50 are detached houses and 35 sit in larger apartment buildings. Our U.S. city median is 61% detached and 22% in large buildings.
Fayetteville labor market
The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the unemployment rate in Washington County at 3.1% for September 2026 (not seasonally adjusted, preliminary), down 0.4 points from 3.5% a year earlier. The city's own ACS rate, averaged over five years, is 4.0%. Local job conditions affect how steady your next paychecks are, so borrow less and keep the term short if cuts are possible where you work.
What a typical Fayetteville household can carry
Try the arithmetic at the median. $62,695 a year is about $5,225 a month before taxes in Fayetteville. Median rent of $1,065 is 20% of it, and the usual 30% yardstick would be about $1,567. For total debt payments, 36% of gross income is a common benchmark. At the median that is about $1,881 a month, though lenders choose their own cutoffs. The typical home is priced at 5.6 times the median household income.
What the numbers suggest about borrowing in Fayetteville
In Fayetteville, just 5% of workers commute 45 minutes or longer. Shorter trips usually mean lower transportation costs, which can help if you are sizing a loan payment.
Renters make up most of Fayetteville: only 42% of households own their homes, one of the lower shares in our 784-place U.S. city set. A personal loan is one of the few formal borrowing tools open to renters without collateral, so compare terms carefully and keep the term short.
Only 21% of Fayetteville homeowners with a mortgage spend 30 percent or more of income on housing, in the lower third of the 784 U.S. city places in our set. Owners with that kind of margin have more choices, including whether to use equity at all.
How Fayetteville compares
Ranked against 784 U.S. city places, Fayetteville shows a median household income of $62,695 (rank 584 of 784), a median gross rent of $1,065 (rank 664 of 784), and a median home value of $349,600 (rank 385 of 784). Ranks like these are a snapshot that changes each release.
Two reference points among Arkansas places of similar population: Springdale ($69,787 income, $1,071 rent), where Fayetteville runs 10% below on income and 1% below on rent and Rogers ($86,728 income, $1,270 rent), where Fayetteville runs 28% below on income and 16% below on rent. Compare the same four numbers on every offer wherever you live.
How Fayetteville stacks up against nearby towns
The 8 closest Census places of 2,500 people or more, measured center to center, with the rent gap against Fayetteville's median of $1,065.
| Place | Miles away | Residents | Median income | Median rent | Rent vs Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson | 4 mi | 3,656 | $95,844 | $1,104 | +$39 |
| Farmington | 5 mi | 9,094 | $90,469 | $1,321 | +$256 |
| Tontitown | 8 mi | 6,425 | $85,603 | $1,346 | +$281 |
| Springdale | 8 mi | 88,160 | $69,787 | $1,071 | +$6 |
| Elkins | 9 mi | 3,808 | $81,789 | $1,431 | +$366 |
| West Fork | 9 mi | 3,095 | $77,566 | $1,095 | +$30 |
| Prairie Grove | 10 mi | 7,798 | $70,701 | $968 | -$97 |
| Elm Springs | 10 mi | 3,069 | $131,739 | $1,321 | +$256 |
On income, Fayetteville trails 8 of its 8 nearest neighbors; on rent, 1 of them is cheaper. Elm Springs has the top median income on the list ($131,739); Prairie Grove is the cheapest place to rent ($968) and Elkins the priciest ($1,431). Moving a few miles can change a budget more than a lower APR does, so run your numbers with the rent you actually pay.
Getting to know Fayetteville
Fayetteville is the seat of Washington County in Northwest Arkansas and home to the University of Arkansas. The university, health care and the region's fast-growing corporate employers drive the economy, and student rentals shape the housing market.
A typical Fayetteville scenario
College-town budgets are driven by the academic calendar. In Fayetteville, rent due before a paycheck arrives, or a gap between semesters, can turn a short-term need into a loan; keep the term short and the amount small.
Before you borrow in Fayetteville
- Look the lender up with your state's financial regulator, and know that the CFPB takes complaints too.
- Try the free routes first: a credit union, a hardship plan or a nonprofit counselor may beat any loan (free options).
- Pull your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute errors before lenders look.
- Put the payment through the DTI calculator before you apply anywhere. Lenders set their own limits.
- Confirm there is no prepayment penalty, in writing, so you can clear the balance early.
More nearby
Frequently asked questions
How should I budget a loan if I have a long commute from Fayetteville?
Count fuel, tires and repairs as fixed costs. With 5% of workers commuting 45 minutes or more, a vehicle failure is a common emergency, so keep a small repair fund and choose a loan payment you can still make after a bad car month.
Can a student or university employee in Fayetteville get a personal loan?
Yes, if the lender can verify regular income and your credit supports it. Students with little income may need a co-signer, who becomes fully responsible for the loan.
Will my Fayetteville address affect my match?
Beyond confirming your state, no. Your answers about the amount, credit, income and payments are all the check uses, and the same rules apply to every applicant.
Who handles lender complaints for Fayetteville residents?
Start with the Arkansas financial regulator or attorney general, then the CFPB complaint portal. If you were asked to pay a fee before getting a loan, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.