Arkansas · 96th largest metro area

Buying a home in Fayetteville, Arkansas

In Fayetteville, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $349,600, Washington County's effective property tax rate is 0.52%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $4,745 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,065 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Fayetteville home costs, fact by fact

About Fayetteville

Median gross rent is $1,065 per month, and owners occupy 41.8% of homes. Census estimates count 103,134 residents in the city.

Reading the Fayetteville figures

Start with the state yardstick: Arkansas shows $228,400 as its median value, and Fayetteville's $349,600 lands well above it. Little Rock, the only other covered city, reads $236,400, so a buyer here is paying the top of the state's range. Tenure points the same way: just 41.8% of Fayetteville households own, whereas Little Rock reaches 53.5%.

Rents are where the two cities nearly meet, with Fayetteville asking $1,065 a month and Little Rock $1,106. Renting is therefore the gentler entry point, while buying means a much larger commitment. HUD sets $1,256 as its benchmark for the metro, plus $1,739 for a bigger home, and both exceed the city's own median rent, so quoted listings may run above the survey number.

Washington County's property tax works out to $1,564 under a 0.52% effective rate, on a county median value of $298,400, which is below the city's own figure. Closing a loan there cost the median 2025 borrower $4,745; the lowest-cost quartile of borrowers stopped at $3,233, whereas the highest-cost quartile started at $8,206, so comparing offers pays off. The loan figures rest on 2,665 filings.

Calculate for Arkansas

If you buy

Arkansas state transfer tax

Real property transfer tax (documentary stamps): $3.30 per $1,000 of actual consideration, on transactions above $100. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$228,400
State transfer tax$753.72
Share of the price0.33% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Arkansas median value of owner-occupied homes, $228,400 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Price divided by 1,000, times $3.30. Applies only when consideration exceeds $100. The pages read do not say how prices that are not multiples of $1,000 are rounded. Who pays: The DFA pages read do not say whether buyer or seller bears the tax; the contract allocates closing costs. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Arkansas transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Arkansas state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Fayetteville

How much is property tax in Fayetteville?

Homeowners in Washington County pay a median $1,564 a year in property tax, 0.52% of the county median home value of $298,400 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Fayetteville?

Home-purchase mortgages in Washington County carried median total loan costs of $4,745 in 2025; half of the 2,665 loans fell between $3,233 and $8,206 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Fayetteville?

Arkansas charges a state real property transfer tax of $3.30 per $1,000 of actual consideration on transactions above $100, which is $660 on a $200,000 sale. It is paid by buying documentary stamps for the deed.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fayetteville?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Fayetteville ($349,600) equals 27.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,065 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Arkansas rules that apply in Fayetteville

Other large cities in Arkansas

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Sources

Arkansas · All states · Federal guides