Cost to Own
United StatesArkansasLittle River County FIPS 05081 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-09-10
The part nobody budgets Even with the mortgage fully paid off, the median home in Little River County still costs $440 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Little River County, Arkansas

A $113,000 home here costs

$1,027

per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $44,000 a year.

P&I 57%Tax 4%Insurance 8%Utilities 21%Upkeep 9%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $587. The real number is $440 higher every month, 75% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $113,400
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
AR average household

Compare with Bowie County, TX · Miller County · McCurtain County, OK · any county

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $90,400 borrowed $587
Property tax0.484% effective rate, Little River County assessor via Census ACS $46
Homeowners insuranceArkansas averages $1,611/yr (NAIC), or 0.896% of home value $84
Electricity14.12¢/kWh, Arkansas residential average, EIA $148
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $94
Total monthly $1,027

How Little River County compares

Little River County ranks 2,739th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 394 counties and higher than in 2,738. Within Arkansas it ranks 58th of 75.

Little River County 0.484% 42% lower than national
Arkansas average 0.532%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

Paying the full bill when you don't have to?

Arkansas runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in Arkansas. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureLittle River CountySource
Median home value$113,400ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$549ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.484%Derived
Median gross rent$812ACS B25064
Occupied housing units4,790ACS B25003
Population11,959ACS B01003
Residential electricity price14.12¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Little River County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $9.3 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.

One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.

Ice storm FEMA National Risk Index percentile 97.8 Very High
Lightning FEMA National Risk Index percentile 80.9 Relatively Moderate
Hail FEMA National Risk Index percentile 79.6 Relatively Moderate

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Little River County.

Talk to someone who works this market

Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Little River County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Little River County I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Little River County runs an average high of 93.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.7°F in its coldest, with 53.24" of precipitation a year and 31% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $148 electricity line above: 2,121 cooling degree days and 2,853 heating degree days a year.

See the full Little River County climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.

Cities and towns in Little River County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.484%.

Neighbouring counties

Counties sharing a border with Little River County. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.

All 75 counties in Arkansas

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Little River County?

The effective property tax rate in Little River County, Arkansas is 0.484% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $113,400, that works out to about $549 annually, or $46 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Little River County?

A $113,000 home in Little River County, Arkansas costs approximately $1,027 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $587 principal and interest, $46 property tax, $84 insurance, $216 utilities and $94 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $310 a month, which is why the real cost is 75% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Little River County?

Median gross rent in Little River County, Arkansas is $812 per month, compared with $1,027 a month to own the median home all in. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Little River County?

Arkansas residential electricity averages 14.12¢ per kWh. At the AR average household usage of 1048 kWh per month, that is about $148. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Little River County?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Little River County, Arkansas at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $44,000 a year. That covers the full $1,027 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Bowie County, TX, the same $113,000 home pays about $918 a year more in property tax than it does here. See what else changes across the line

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate, median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate, Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price, US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for Arkansas ($1,611/yr), expressed as 0.896% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.

Full methodology