Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forrest City, Arkansas
A $88,000 home here costs
$829per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $452. The real number is $376 higher every month — 83% 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.
Forrest City against St. Francis County and Arkansas
| Measure | Forrest City | St. Francis County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $87,800 | $87,700 |
| Median property tax | $483 | $474 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.550% | 0.540% |
| Median gross rent | $795 | $791 |
| Population | 12,826 | 22,740 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forrest City sits in St. Francis County, which averages a high of 91.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.9°F in its coldest, with 50.4" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,173 cooling and 3,004 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Francis County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Francis County
No other places of this size are published in St. Francis County.
Full St. Francis County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forrest City?
A $88,000 home in Forrest City, Arkansas costs approximately $829 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $452 principal and interest, $40 property tax, $66 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $73 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forrest City?
Forrest City has an effective property tax rate of 0.550%, based on a median home value of $87,800 and median real estate taxes of $483. That is higher than the St. Francis County average of 0.540%.
What is the average home price in Forrest City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forrest City, Arkansas is $87,800, against $87,700 across St. Francis County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forrest City?
Median gross rent in Forrest City is $795 a month, against $829 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 Forrest City — 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.