Arkansas taxes real estate on a fixed fraction of its market value, set in the constitution, with millage voted by each school district, county and city. Counties reappraise on a regular cycle, and Amendment 79 limits how much the assessed value of a homestead can rise from one year to the next. It also freezes the assessment for owners who are older or disabled once they apply.
The same amendment gives every homestead a property tax credit, taken straight off the bill. You claim it with the county assessor after moving in, and you have to own and live in the home for it to apply. Buyers who skip the paperwork pay the full bill until they file.
A quirk that catches newcomers is the personal property assessment. Every year, residents must report their cars, trucks, boats and trailers to the county assessor during the spring window, and the county bills tax on them alongside the house. Registering or renewing a vehicle requires proof that you assessed it and paid the tax, so this is not a step to leave until later.
Property tax in Arkansas is paid the year after the assessment, with the bill due in the autumn. At closing that shows up as a proration credit from the seller. The state also charges a real property transfer tax on the deed, and the sale contract says which side pays it. Rural buyers should ask about flood zones along the Delta rivers, where insurance can cost more than the tax itself.
Property tax in Arkansas
The median Arkansas homeowner pays $1,040 a year in property tax on a home valued at $188,000, an effective rate of 0.5532% in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year 2020-2024). That ranks the 13th lowest of the 50 states and DC, at or below the middle state's 0.8003%. At that rate each $100,000 of home value carries about $553 a year of tax, or $46.10 a month in the payment, and that rate is what the calculator above starts from.
Inside Arkansas the rate more than doubles from the cheapest county to the dearest. Among counties whose survey figures pass both quality checks, the effective rate runs from 0.3153% in Montgomery County to 0.8133% in Phillips County. On a $188,000 home that gap is worth about $936 a year. Pick a county in the calculator to use its rate, or type the rate from a listing or a current tax bill.
The survey rate is what owners actually pay divided by what they say their homes are worth, with exemptions, caps and local levies folded in; it will not match any rate printed in Arkansas law. Ask for the seller's latest bill and the assessed value too, since a new owner's assessment can differ from the long-held homes behind the median.
Arkansas property tax rates by county
All 75 counties, sorted from the highest effective rate to the lowest. The rate is the median tax paid divided by the median home value, from the ACS 5-year 2020-2024 survey (figures to December 31, 2024). Of these, four carry a flag: where the survey's margin of error is wide or home values hit the survey's top code, the calculator uses the Arkansas median instead of that county's figure.
| County | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax a year | Survey | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips County | 0.8133% | $78,200 | $636 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Pulaski County | 0.7648% | $214,700 | $1,642 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Prairie County | 0.722% | $96,400 | $696 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Jefferson County | 0.657% | $113,400 | $745 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Lonoke County | 0.6255% | $193,600 | $1,211 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Sebastian County | 0.6249% | $176,200 | $1,101 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Saline County | 0.618% | $221,200 | $1,367 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Crittenden County | 0.6161% | $160,200 | $987 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Lafayette County | 0.6099% | $81,000 | $494 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
| Miller County | 0.6069% | $153,900 | $934 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Ashley County | 0.6028% | $91,900 | $554 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Pike County | 0.5863% | $121,600 | $713 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Bradley County | 0.5749% | $94,800 | $545 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Jackson County | 0.5687% | $98,300 | $559 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Hempstead County | 0.5686% | $105,700 | $601 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Union County | 0.5666% | $120,900 | $685 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Izard County | 0.5662% | $129,100 | $731 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Benton County | 0.5635% | $323,500 | $1,823 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Woodruff County | 0.5634% | $106,500 | $600 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Dallas County | 0.5622% | $97,300 | $547 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Clark County | 0.5619% | $155,000 | $871 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Conway County | 0.5594% | $154,100 | $862 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Sharp County | 0.5557% | $105,100 | $584 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Pope County | 0.5556% | $170,100 | $945 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Grant County | 0.5442% | $161,700 | $880 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Desha County | 0.5424% | $90,900 | $493 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Arkansas County | 0.5395% | $138,100 | $745 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Faulkner County | 0.5385% | $232,700 | $1,253 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Crawford County | 0.5372% | $182,800 | $982 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Craighead County | 0.5347% | $210,400 | $1,125 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Poinsett County | 0.5272% | $103,000 | $543 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Independence County | 0.5259% | $142,600 | $750 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Lincoln County | 0.5241% | $108,000 | $566 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Washington County | 0.5241% | $298,400 | $1,564 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Johnson County | 0.524% | $135,300 | $709 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Nevada County | 0.521% | $83,300 | $434 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Mississippi County | 0.5184% | $122,500 | $635 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Carroll County | 0.5143% | $210,400 | $1,082 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Ouachita County | 0.5142% | $102,100 | $525 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Monroe County | 0.5141% | $88,700 | $456 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Logan County | 0.5118% | $139,900 | $716 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Cross County | 0.5072% | $117,500 | $596 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Little River County | 0.4987% | $113,500 | $566 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Clay County | 0.4968% | $94,600 | $470 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Franklin County | 0.4931% | $130,800 | $645 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
| Boone County | 0.4907% | $188,900 | $927 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Chicot County | 0.4893% | $89,100 | $436 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
| Perry County | 0.4869% | $130,200 | $634 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Cleveland County | 0.4847% | $137,600 | $667 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Greene County | 0.4838% | $169,300 | $819 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Garland County | 0.4802% | $194,300 | $933 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Hot Spring County | 0.4792% | $151,100 | $724 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Marion County | 0.4746% | $163,300 | $775 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Columbia County | 0.4721% | $152,100 | $718 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
| Drew County | 0.4716% | $140,800 | $664 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Fulton County | 0.4684% | $113,800 | $533 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| St. Francis County | 0.4675% | $90,900 | $425 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Lawrence County | 0.4661% | $98,900 | $461 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Calhoun County | 0.4652% | $110,700 | $515 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Lee County | 0.4635% | $75,300 | $349 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| White County | 0.4609% | $163,600 | $754 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Baxter County | 0.4576% | $174,600 | $799 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Cleburne County | 0.4533% | $179,800 | $815 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Yell County | 0.4457% | $143,600 | $640 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Sevier County | 0.4371% | $117,600 | $514 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Scott County | 0.4348% | $115,000 | $500 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Van Buren County | 0.4282% | $135,700 | $581 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Searcy County | 0.4255% | $110,000 | $468 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Howard County | 0.4152% | $153,900 | $639 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Madison County | 0.4133% | $178,100 | $736 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Polk County | 0.4082% | $138,400 | $565 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Randolph County | 0.4035% | $130,600 | $527 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Newton County | 0.3833% | $169,300 | $649 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Stone County | 0.3193% | $171,600 | $548 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Montgomery County | 0.3153% | $151,900 | $479 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
Worked example: the median Arkansas home
The median owner-occupied home in Arkansas is valued at $188,000 (ACS 5-year 2020-2024). Put $37,600 down, enough to keep the loan at 80% of the price so no PMI is charged, and borrow the rest over 30 years at 7.4%, the Freddie Mac average for the week of October 15, 2026. Insurance is the calculator's default of $1,500 a year, the same figure on every state page and 10.0% of this payment; real premiums vary widely from state to state and with a home's exposure to wind, flood and wildfire, so replace it with a premium for the Arkansas home you are pricing.
| Line | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $1,041.34 | $12,496.08 |
| Property tax | $86.67 | $1,040.04 |
| Homeowners insurance | $125.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Private mortgage insurance | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total payment | $1,253.01 | $15,036.12 |
Principal and interest dominate the bill; tax and insurance, usually collected through escrow, add $211.67 a month, 16.9% of the total. Over the full term the $150,400 loan costs $224,482 in interest.
With $18,800 down instead, the loan grows to $169,200 and PMI of $70.50 a month is added, for a first payment of $1,453.68. On the regular schedule the PMI stops after 10 years, with the payment in October 2036. A 15-year loan at the 6.71% average, with the larger down payment, raises the monthly figure to $1,539.24 but cuts the interest to $88,563.
What the median Arkansas wage can buy
The median annual wage in Arkansas is $43,630 (BLS wage survey, May 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, that leaves about $3,007 a month after federal and Arkansas paycheck deductions. With $60,000 saved for a down payment and $400 a month of other debts, the home affordability calculator's default 28/36 rule gives this range at 7.4% and the Arkansas property tax rate:
| Level | Home price | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | $86,952 | $352 |
| Target | $162,405 | $909 |
| Stretch | $196,867 | $1,163 |
Here the limit is total debt: the housing payment plus the other $400 a month reaches 36% of gross pay first. The target falls $25,595 short of the $188,000 median home value: the median home costs 4.3 times the median wage, so a typical Arkansas purchase usually needs a second income, a larger down payment or a cheaper area.
Everyday costs help: Arkansas's prices for goods and rent run 13.1% below the national average, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price parities for 2024 (figures to December 31, 2024). That stretches the median wage to about $50,186 in national dollars.
Arkansas mortgage questions
What is the mortgage payment on the median home in Arkansas?
The median Arkansas home is valued at $188,000 in the Census Bureau's ACS 5-year 2020-2024 figures. With $37,600 down and a 30-year loan at the 7.4% weekly average, the payment is $1,253.01 a month: $1,041.34 of principal and interest, $86.67 of property tax and $125.00 of insurance.
What is the property tax rate in Arkansas?
Homeowners in Arkansas pay a median of $1,040 a year on a median home value of $188,000, an effective rate of 0.5532%. That is the 13th lowest of the 50 states and DC. It is a measure of what owners actually pay, not a rate set in law, and a new purchase can be taxed differently.
Which Arkansas county has the highest property tax rate?
Among counties with reliable survey figures, Phillips County has the highest effective rate at 0.8133% and Montgomery County the lowest at 0.3153%. On the $188,000 median home, that gap is about $936 a year.
How much house can I afford on the median Arkansas wage?
On the median wage of $43,630, take-home pay is about $3,007 a month. With $60,000 down and $400 a month of other debts, the 28/36 rule points to a home of about $162,405, against a median home value of $188,000.
Does a smaller down payment change the Arkansas payment much?
With $18,800 down on the same home the loan is larger and private mortgage insurance is added, so the payment starts at $1,453.68 a month, $70.50 of it PMI. The PMI stops once the scheduled balance reaches 78% of the original value.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS 5-year 2020-2024), tables B25103 and B25077
- Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States [MORTGAGE30US], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, removing PMI
Mortgage rates: Freddie Mac weekly averages as of . Property tax rates: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2020-2024 as of . Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 as of . How we calculate.