Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Alma, Arkansas
A $197,000 home here costs
$1,635per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,013. The real number is $622 higher every month — 61% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Alma against Crawford County and Arkansas
| Measure | Alma | Crawford County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $197,200 | $170,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,367 | $904 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.693% | 0.532% |
| Median gross rent | $992 | $828 |
| Population | 5,879 | 60,792 |
The weather behind that power bill
Alma sits in Crawford County, which averages a high of 91.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 25.8°F in its coldest, with 53.42" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,586 cooling and 3,733 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Crawford County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Crawford County
Full Crawford County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Alma?
A $197,000 home in Alma, Arkansas costs approximately $1,635 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,013 principal and interest, $114 property tax, $147 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $164 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Alma?
Alma has an effective property tax rate of 0.693%, based on a median home value of $197,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,367. That is higher than the Crawford County average of 0.532%.
What is the average home price in Alma?
The median owner-occupied home value in Alma, Arkansas is $197,200, against $170,000 across Crawford County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Alma?
Median gross rent in Alma is $992 a month, against $1,635 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Alma — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Arkansas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.