Arkansas rental market data

Home values rose by a median 2.3% across 13 measured metros, while asking rents rose by a median 3.7% across the 10 metros with rent-growth data. Subtracting those medians gives a 1.4 percentage-point rent advantage. Hot Springs, AR, shows the clearest named separation: rent increased 6.5% while its home value increased 0.4%, with a 6.4% gross yield.

The pattern is not universal. In Fort Smith, AR, home-value growth of 4.71% slightly exceeded rent growth of 4.67%. The spread supports screening for local income momentum without assuming every metro has improving rental economics; market-rent indexes also do not establish in-place collections or renewal performance.

Job growth across 13 metros had a median of 0.2%, with the measured range running from a negative 0.7% at the 10th percentile to 2.5% at the 90th. The named stronger markets were Batesville, AR, at 2.9%, Fayetteville, AR, at 2.6%, and Mountain Home, AR, at 2.4%. Demand conditions therefore differ materially by metro.

The separate county migration series provides a positive counter-signal: 81,966 people moved in and 76,575 moved out across 75 counties, producing net migration of 5,391, or 1.8 per 1,000 residents. Aggregate AGI inflow exceeded outflow by $187,279. These totals do not identify how many movers rent, where within a county they settled or whether their arrival translates into current unit-level demand.

The gross-yield median across 13 metros was 6.4%, with the 10th-to-90th-percentile range spanning 5.8% to 8.1%. Pine Bluff, AR, stands above that distribution with a $103,165 home value, $863 monthly rent and 10.0% gross yield. Its price equaled 2.0 times measured household income, while rent equaled 20.1% of income.

Jonesboro, AR, offers a different affordability tradeoff: its gross yield was 8.0%, but rent equaled 29.1% of measured income. Headline yield should therefore be paired with tenant affordability and turnover screening. These are gross measures before vacancy, repairs, management, financing, taxes and insurance, so they cannot establish net return.

The median measured metro had 3.8 months of supply, 50 days on market, price drops on 26.3% of listings and a 97.2% sale-to-list ratio. Fayetteville, AR, recorded 9,486 permitted units, or 16.4 per 1,000 residents, while current resale conditions remained relatively quick at 35 days on market and 3.4 months of supply. Price drops still affected 29.8% of listings.

Exit conditions were softer in Pine Bluff, AR, with 90 days on market, 5.8 months of supply and a 95.8% sale-to-list ratio. Hot Springs, AR, had 76 days on market, 6.7 months of supply and a 96.5% sale-to-list ratio. Those differences argue for metro-specific resale assumptions; permits are authorizations rather than proof of completed or competing rental units.

Across 75 counties, the median vacancy rate was 18.1% and the median renter share was 27.5%; vacancy reached 27.3% at the 90th percentile. The median share of renters spending at least 30% of income on rent was 45.9%, rising to 55.4% at the 90th percentile.

The highlighted burden counties reinforce the tension. Nevada County had 73.1% renter burden and 24.5% vacancy. Lee County also had 73.1% burden, alongside 27.2% vacancy and a 41.0% renter share. Hempstead County had 62.0% burden, 22.4% vacancy and a median year built of 1979. High burden indicates tenant stress, not automatically tight inventory or room for higher rents; median year built also does not establish a property's condition.

Inland flood is the mutually exclusive leading-hazard label for 69 counties, while earthquake is the leading label for 6. The median county climate-loss ratio was 0.21%, reaching 0.31% at the 90th percentile. The median effective property-tax rate was 0.51%, with a 0.61% 90th percentile and a $649 median tax bill.

Searcy County had a 0.37% climate-loss ratio, a 0.43% property-tax rate and a $468 median tax. Phillips County had a lower 0.21% climate-loss ratio but a higher 0.81% tax rate and a $636 median tax. Hazard loss and tax burden therefore require separate screens. A county's leading-hazard label does not establish parcel-level exposure, insurability or premium cost.