Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Charleston, Arkansas
A $117,000 home here costs
$1,029per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $601. The real number is $428 higher every month — 71% 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.
Charleston against Franklin County and Arkansas
| Measure | Charleston | Franklin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $116,500 | $118,800 |
| Median property tax | $550 | $598 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.472% | 0.503% |
| Median gross rent | $738 | $717 |
| Population | 2,611 | 17,220 |
The weather behind that power bill
Charleston sits in Franklin County, which averages a high of 91.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 52.24" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,820 cooling and 3,548 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Franklin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Franklin County
Full Franklin County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Charleston?
A $117,000 home in Charleston, Arkansas costs approximately $1,029 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $601 principal and interest, $46 property tax, $87 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $98 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Charleston?
Charleston has an effective property tax rate of 0.472%, based on a median home value of $116,500 and median real estate taxes of $550. That is lower than the Franklin County average of 0.503%.
What is the average home price in Charleston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Charleston, Arkansas is $116,500, against $118,800 across Franklin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Charleston?
Median gross rent in Charleston is $738 a month, against $1,029 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 Charleston — 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.