Arkansas · main city

Buying a home in Little Rock, Arkansas

In Little Rock, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $258,900, Pulaski County's effective property tax rate is 0.76%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $4,952 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,106 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2025 1-year, Census Vintage 2024, FHFA HPI 2026Q2, Census ACS 2020-2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Checked on against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Little Rock home costs, fact by fact

  • Little Rock is the first-named city of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan area. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • That metro area is the 80th largest in the United States, with 769,258 residents. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • Little Rock itself counts 204,774 residents. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • The median value of owner-occupied homes in Little Rock is $258,900. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
  • That figure is what owners estimate their home is worth, not a sale price. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
  • The FHFA House Price Index shows Arkansas prices up 1.1% and Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway prices up 1.9% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026. (FHFA HPI 2026Q2)
  • Owners occupy 53.5% of the occupied homes in Little Rock. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Median gross rent in Little Rock is $1,106 a month. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Homeowners in Pulaski County pay a median $1,642 a year in property tax. (Census ACS 2020-2024; Arkansas property tax by county)
  • That is 0.76% of the median home value in Pulaski County, its effective property tax rate. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Home-purchase mortgages in Pulaski County carried median total loan costs of $4,952 in 2025, across 3,565 loans. (HMDA 2025; Pulaski County loan costs)
  • Half of those loans fell between $3,577 and $7,407. (HMDA 2025)
  • HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home is $1,121 a month in its rent area, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area. (HUD FY 2027)
  • 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. (official sources; Arkansas transfer tax)

Calculate for Little Rock

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$258,900
State transfer tax$854.37
Share of the price0.33% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Little Rock median value of owner-occupied homes, $258,900 (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.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Little Rock is $258,900, according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey, against $228,400 for Arkansas. Buyers inside city limits may get a forgivable loan of up to $10,000 from the City of Little Rock, and ADFA’s down payment second mortgage ranges from $1,000 to $15,000.

How much homes cost in Little Rock

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on Arkansas home prices explains the method in detail.

AreaMedian value, 2025 (ACS)Margin of error (90%)
City of Little Rock$258,900±$15,414
Pulaski County$244,000±$10,195
Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metro area$248,700±$6,674
Arkansas$228,400±$3,677
United States$371,100±$646

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2025, table B25077.

Are Little Rock prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index for the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metro area, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Area1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metro area+1.9%+31.4%
Arkansas+1.1%+37.9%
United States+2.1%+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Prices in the Little Rock area rose modestly over the past year, after a gain of nearly a third over five years.

Closing costs at the median price

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, the survey, recording fees and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose, so there is no single official figure. For the rules and who usually pays each item, see our guide to closing costs in Arkansas and our guide to closing costs explained.

Property tax in Little Rock

Property tax depends on the taxing units that cover your address and on the exemptions you claim. We do not recalculate it on this page. Our Arkansas property tax guide covers who assesses your home, the rates and how to appeal. To see how tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Transfer taxes

State rules on the tax paid when a deed is recorded are explained on our page about transfer tax in Arkansas. This page does not add a separate city figure.

Help for buyers in Little Rock

Little Rock sits in Pulaski County, which ADFA lists as a non-targeted county for its StartSmart program. For households of one or two people, the maximum income is $102,595; for households of three or more, $117,984 (table effective June 1, 2026). The price limit is $500,000.

The City of Little Rock’s Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs also runs two forgivable-loan programs for homes inside the city limits:

  • Down Payment Assistance: up to 6% of the price, capped at $10,000, for households at or below 80% of area median income. The city’s flyer lists a 2025 limit of $66,750 for a household of three.
  • Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP): the lesser of $15,000 or 8% of the price, for households at or below 150% of area median income, funded by federal disaster-recovery money after the March 31, 2023 tornado.

Both are requested through a mortgage lender, require a homebuyer counseling course, and are forgiven over 60 months if you live in the home. Details, conditions and a worked example are in our guide to first-time buyer programs in Arkansas.

Arkansas guides for Little Rock buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Little Rock?

The Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Little Rock at $258,900 (±$15,414). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Little Rock going up?

According to the FHFA purchase-only index, prices in the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway metro area rose 1.9% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Over five years, they rose 31.4%.

Is there down payment help in Little Rock?

Yes. The City of Little Rock offers up to $10,000 (and up to $15,000 under its disaster-recovery program), and ADFA’s down payment second mortgage ranges from $1,000 to $15,000. Eligibility, income limits and funding vary, so ask a participating lender.

What are ADFA’s income limits for Little Rock?

For Pulaski County, ADFA’s StartSmart table effective June 1, 2026 shows $102,595 for one or two people and $117,984 for three or more, with a $500,000 price limit.

Where can I read about property tax and closing costs here?

Our Arkansas guides on property tax and closing costs apply to Little Rock, and the sections above link to them.

More Arkansas guides

Sources

Questions about buying a home in Little Rock

How much is property tax in Little Rock?

Homeowners in Pulaski County pay a median $1,642 a year in property tax, 0.76% of the county median home value of $214,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Little Rock?

Home-purchase mortgages in Pulaski County carried median total loan costs of $4,952 in 2025; half of the 3,565 loans fell between $3,577 and $7,407 (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 Little Rock?

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 Little Rock?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Little Rock ($236,400) equals 17.8 years of the median gross rent ($1,106 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

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

Professionals by sector of Little Rock

Who licenses each trade in Arkansas

Other large cities: see cities in Arkansas.

Data sources for the figures above

Arkansas · All states · Federal guides