Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
A $72,000 home here costs
$726per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $370. The real number is $356 higher every month — 96% 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.
Helena-West Helena against Phillips County and Arkansas
| Measure | Helena-West Helena | Phillips County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $72,300 | $76,200 |
| Median property tax | $540 | $500 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.747% | 0.656% |
| Median gross rent | $774 | $756 |
| Population | 9,218 | 15,910 |
The weather behind that power bill
Helena-West Helena sits in Phillips County, which averages a high of 90.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.5°F in its coldest, with 51.88" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,974 cooling and 3,050 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Phillips County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Phillips County
Full Phillips County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Helena-West Helena?
A $72,000 home in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas costs approximately $726 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $370 principal and interest, $45 property tax, $54 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $60 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Helena-West Helena?
Helena-West Helena has an effective property tax rate of 0.747%, based on a median home value of $72,300 and median real estate taxes of $540. That is higher than the Phillips County average of 0.656%.
What is the average home price in Helena-West Helena?
The median owner-occupied home value in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas is $72,300, against $76,200 across Phillips County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Helena-West Helena?
Median gross rent in Helena-West Helena is $774 a month, against $726 to own the median home all in. Owning costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Helena-West Helena — 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.