County housing intelligence
Arkansas Housing Market by County
Arkansas is not one housing market. Across 75 counties, the median county home value is $122,600 and the median county rent is $727/mo. The useful question is not whether Arkansas is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$122,600
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$727/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
75
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Arkansas Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Benton County, Washington County, Saline County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Lafayette County, Phillips County, Lee County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Benton County, Pulaski County, Washington County lead on rent, while Woodruff County, Fulton County, Searcy County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Calhoun County, Prairie County, Clay County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Lafayette County
$74,600
- 2. Phillips County
$76,200
- 3. Lee County
$77,900
- 4. Monroe County
$82,200
- 5. Nevada County
$85,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Calhoun County
1.5x home-value-to-income
- 2. Prairie County
1.7x home-value-to-income
- 3. Clay County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 4. Monroe County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 5. Woodruff County
1.9x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Woodruff County
$595/mo
- 2. Fulton County
$596/mo
- 3. Searcy County
$596/mo
- 4. Monroe County
$603/mo
- 5. Dallas County
$626/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Calhoun County
21.0% rent burden
- 2. Lincoln County
21.0% rent burden
- 3. Logan County
21.0% rent burden
- 4. Benton County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Dallas County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Stone County
0.35% effective tax rate
- 2. Montgomery County
0.38% effective tax rate
- 3. Newton County
0.41% effective tax rate
- 4. Scott County
0.41% effective tax rate
- 5. Randolph County
0.44% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Calhoun County
$323/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Nevada County
$287/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Marion County
$263/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Hempstead County
$247/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Montgomery County
$242/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Calhoun County
$63,654 income, 1.5x value-to-income
- 2. Grant County
$72,512 income, 2.1x value-to-income
- 3. Prairie County
$51,094 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 4. Arkansas County
$60,831 income, 2.1x value-to-income
- 5. Benton County
$89,879 income, 3.2x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Lafayette County $74,600 home value, $37,237 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Lafayette County $74,600 home value, 0.57% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Nevada County $841/mo rent, 40.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Benton County $285,100 home value, $89,879 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Arkansas County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | $97,300 | $822/mo | $63,654 | 1.5x | 0.50% |
| Prairie County | $87,500 | $637/mo | $51,094 | 1.7x | 0.62% |
| Clay County | $88,100 | $696/mo | $48,500 | 1.8x | 0.52% |
| Monroe County | $82,200 | $603/mo | $43,955 | 1.9x | 0.49% |
| Woodruff County | $96,800 | $595/mo | $49,982 | 1.9x | 0.58% |
| Ashley County | $88,800 | $640/mo | $44,481 | 2.0x | 0.61% |
| Lafayette County | $74,600 | $711/mo | $37,237 | 2.0x | 0.57% |
| Ouachita County | $99,600 | $714/mo | $49,838 | 2.0x | 0.50% |
| Phillips County | $76,200 | $756/mo | $38,874 | 2.0x | 0.66% |
| Arkansas County | $129,400 | $799/mo | $60,831 | 2.1x | 0.56% |
| Grant County | $154,500 | $779/mo | $72,512 | 2.1x | 0.54% |
| Hempstead County | $100,200 | $781/mo | $47,654 | 2.1x | 0.50% |
| Jackson County | $87,300 | $662/mo | $41,215 | 2.1x | 0.56% |
| Lawrence County | $91,100 | $715/mo | $44,164 | 2.1x | 0.49% |
| Lee County | $77,900 | $638/mo | $36,860 | 2.1x | 0.53% |
| Lincoln County | $106,100 | $672/mo | $51,667 | 2.1x | 0.54% |
| Nevada County | $85,700 | $841/mo | $41,761 | 2.1x | 0.54% |
| Poinsett County | $101,200 | $647/mo | $47,188 | 2.1x | 0.51% |
| St. Francis County | $87,700 | $791/mo | $41,784 | 2.1x | 0.54% |
| Cross County | $104,000 | $797/mo | $47,012 | 2.2x | 0.55% |
| Dallas County | $98,200 | $626/mo | $44,694 | 2.2x | 0.47% |
| Independence County | $120,500 | $814/mo | $56,009 | 2.2x | 0.55% |
| Jefferson County | $106,000 | $849/mo | $48,552 | 2.2x | 0.63% |
| Little River County | $113,400 | $812/mo | $52,241 | 2.2x | 0.48% |
| Mississippi County | $115,800 | $797/mo | $53,428 | 2.2x | 0.56% |
| Perry County | $129,300 | $734/mo | $60,078 | 2.2x | 0.52% |
| Randolph County | $118,100 | $671/mo | $52,838 | 2.2x | 0.44% |
| Sevier County | $111,700 | $725/mo | $51,641 | 2.2x | 0.48% |
| Sharp County | $94,600 | $648/mo | $42,950 | 2.2x | 0.58% |
| Yell County | $131,300 | $653/mo | $58,870 | 2.2x | 0.52% |
| Chicot County | $90,500 | $661/mo | $39,683 | 2.3x | 0.55% |
| Franklin County | $118,800 | $717/mo | $51,919 | 2.3x | 0.50% |
| Logan County | $126,900 | $721/mo | $54,237 | 2.3x | 0.53% |
| Pike County | $115,400 | $671/mo | $51,000 | 2.3x | 0.56% |
| Union County | $114,700 | $825/mo | $50,221 | 2.3x | 0.58% |
| Cleveland County | $123,400 | $635/mo | $50,509 | 2.4x | 0.58% |
| Hot Spring County | $127,900 | $763/mo | $52,644 | 2.4x | 0.51% |
| Scott County | $110,900 | $736/mo | $45,955 | 2.4x | 0.41% |
| Bradley County | $97,000 | $638/mo | $39,565 | 2.5x | 0.56% |
| Desha County | $89,100 | $689/mo | $36,064 | 2.5x | 0.58% |
| Polk County | $122,600 | $699/mo | $49,252 | 2.5x | 0.44% |
| Izard County | $122,100 | $626/mo | $47,728 | 2.6x | 0.58% |
| Lonoke County | $184,100 | $961/mo | $71,449 | 2.6x | 0.64% |
| Searcy County | $108,100 | $596/mo | $41,978 | 2.6x | 0.48% |
| Van Buren County | $122,300 | $727/mo | $47,266 | 2.6x | 0.46% |
| Conway County | $137,000 | $721/mo | $51,212 | 2.7x | 0.52% |
| Crawford County | $170,000 | $828/mo | $60,362 | 2.8x | 0.53% |
| Fulton County | $107,200 | $596/mo | $38,941 | 2.8x | 0.46% |
| Johnson County | $124,800 | $714/mo | $44,808 | 2.8x | 0.57% |
| Montgomery County | $136,000 | $734/mo | $49,015 | 2.8x | 0.38% |
| Saline County | $211,700 | $980/mo | $76,534 | 2.8x | 0.63% |
| Clark County | $147,100 | $734/mo | $50,985 | 2.9x | 0.57% |
| Crittenden County | $155,100 | $883/mo | $54,271 | 2.9x | 0.60% |
| Greene County | $162,200 | $852/mo | $56,793 | 2.9x | 0.49% |
| Madison County | $157,800 | $727/mo | $53,888 | 2.9x | 0.44% |
| Sebastian County | $166,000 | $854/mo | $56,450 | 2.9x | 0.65% |
| Columbia County | $141,700 | $631/mo | $47,363 | 3.0x | 0.48% |
| Howard County | $135,400 | $702/mo | $44,492 | 3.0x | 0.52% |
| Miller County | $148,200 | $882/mo | $49,983 | 3.0x | 0.62% |
| Pope County | $161,700 | $855/mo | $54,606 | 3.0x | 0.57% |
| White County | $159,600 | $806/mo | $53,435 | 3.0x | 0.48% |
| Boone County | $169,300 | $715/mo | $54,195 | 3.1x | 0.53% |
| Cleburne County | $174,600 | $853/mo | $55,979 | 3.1x | 0.47% |
| Drew County | $127,800 | $712/mo | $41,071 | 3.1x | 0.45% |
| Benton County | $285,100 | $1,193/mo | $89,879 | 3.2x | 0.61% |
| Faulkner County | $211,300 | $980/mo | $65,071 | 3.2x | 0.57% |
| Garland County | $176,400 | $942/mo | $55,409 | 3.2x | 0.52% |
| Pulaski County | $199,600 | $1,036/mo | $60,385 | 3.3x | 0.78% |
| Baxter County | $165,400 | $866/mo | $48,427 | 3.4x | 0.46% |
| Carroll County | $186,300 | $818/mo | $55,187 | 3.4x | 0.53% |
| Craighead County | $198,700 | $930/mo | $57,615 | 3.4x | 0.55% |
| Marion County | $158,400 | $792/mo | $46,953 | 3.4x | 0.51% |
| Newton County | $178,800 | $629/mo | $47,395 | 3.8x | 0.41% |
| Stone County | $149,400 | $717/mo | $38,531 | 3.9x | 0.35% |
| Washington County | $266,000 | $1,005/mo | $66,426 | 4.0x | 0.55% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Arkansas by county?
What is the typical rent in Arkansas by county?
Which Arkansas counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.