Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lamar, Arkansas
A $140,000 home here costs
$1,212per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $720. The real number is $493 higher every month — 68% 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.
Lamar against Johnson County and Arkansas
| Measure | Lamar | Johnson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $139,500 | $124,800 |
| Median property tax | $890 | $706 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.638% | 0.566% |
| Median gross rent | $575 | $714 |
| Population | 1,826 | 25,932 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lamar sits in Johnson County, which averages a high of 89.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.0°F in its coldest, with 52.79" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,753 cooling and 3,577 heating degree days, which is what sets the $129 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Johnson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Johnson County
Full Johnson County cost breakdown · Every county in Arkansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lamar?
A $140,000 home in Lamar, Arkansas costs approximately $1,212 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $720 principal and interest, $74 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $197 utilities and $117 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lamar?
Lamar has an effective property tax rate of 0.638%, based on a median home value of $139,500 and median real estate taxes of $890. That is higher than the Johnson County average of 0.566%.
What is the average home price in Lamar?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lamar, Arkansas is $139,500, against $124,800 across Johnson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lamar?
Median gross rent in Lamar is $575 a month, against $1,212 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 Lamar — 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.