Arkansas
Ranked #3 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$196K
3.33x income
Median Rent
🔑$933
27.8% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$59K
Population: 3,067,732
Homeownership
🏡66.0%
2,700 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉28,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨13,684
Price-to-Income
📊3.33x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️12.5%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($1064) is above the state median rent ($933) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Arkansas
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | 70 | $221K | $1,031 | $66K | 28.5% |
| Fort Smith | 89 | $182K | $857 | $59K | 19.6% |
| Jonesboro | 89 | $182K | $940 | $59K | 21.3% |
| Hot Springs | 78 | $221K | $944 | $52K | 23.2% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
66.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
19.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
1,232,871
Owner-Occupied
816,038
Renter-Occupied
416,833
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
2,783
1-Year Change
+6.7%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
+8.7%
2,560 → 2,783
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
13,684
1.0% of national total
Single-Family
9,819
72% of state permits
Multi-Family
3,865
28% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
28,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.4% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Arkansas burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
27.8%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
12.5%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
82,679
Households >35% Burden
47,093