Jonesboro, home to Arkansas State University, is a fairly nondescript town with a few college-town amenities and a large agricultural and agricultural processing base. Crops grown nearby include cotton and rice in addition to standards like corn and soybeans. “A State” is the state “ag” school bringing in 16,500 students and a modern college town presence superimposed on this rather typical Southern small town. But for a college town, Jonesboro has a low level of educational attainment.

As in nearby places, Jonesboro features a low cost of living and better-than-average healthcare facilities designed to serve the much larger northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri regions. Arts and culture and recreational amenities are limited except for those associated with the school, but there is a new regional shopping mall and the drive to nearby Memphis fills the gap.

Jonesboro is located in a level area of gently rolling, mostly agricultural land. Climate is mostly continental with a strong subtropical influence from the Gulf of Mexico in summer. Summers are hot and sticky. Winters are mild with occasional cold snaps. Jonesboro gets more snow (8 inches) than any other metropolitan area in Arkansas. First freeze is late October, last is April 1.