Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Decatur, Arkansas
A $142,000 home here costs
$1,207per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $730. The real number is $477 higher every month — 65% 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.
Decatur against Benton County and Arkansas
| Measure | Decatur | Benton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $141,800 | $285,100 |
| Median property tax | $667 | $1,731 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.470% | 0.607% |
| Median gross rent | $759 | $1,193 |
| Population | 1,516 | 294,541 |
The weather behind that power bill
Decatur sits in Benton County, which averages a high of 90.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 26.7°F in its coldest, with 45.43" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,561 cooling and 3,858 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Benton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Benton County
Full Benton County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Decatur?
A $142,000 home in Decatur, Arkansas costs approximately $1,207 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $730 principal and interest, $56 property tax, $106 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $118 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Decatur?
Decatur has an effective property tax rate of 0.470%, based on a median home value of $141,800 and median real estate taxes of $667. That is lower than the Benton County average of 0.607%.
What is the average home price in Decatur?
The median owner-occupied home value in Decatur, Arkansas is $141,800, against $285,100 across Benton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Decatur?
Median gross rent in Decatur is $759 a month, against $1,207 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 Decatur — 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.