MonitorBankRates
☰
Survey Results We asked readers after the Fed’s Sept. 16 hike: 50% of savers say their bank still has not raised their rate since the Fed funds rate increase. See the full results
Arkansas Housing Affordability Index | MonitorBankRates (MBR-HAI)

Arkansas Housing Affordability Index

Arkansas’s MBR Housing Affordability Index score is 134.9 (Highly Affordable) as of October 13, 2026, ranking 2nd most affordable of 51 states, compared with a national score of 97.1. On a median-priced $188,000 home in Arkansas with 20% down, the current 7.47% 30-year fixed rate means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,049, or 21% of the state’s $60,773 median household income.

Daily MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) score for Arkansas compared to the national average. Updated every night using live mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income and home value data. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Current Score
Arkansas
134.9
Highly Affordable
MBR-HAI • October 13, 2026
0 vs. prior day
National Average
97.1
Near National Average
MBR-HAI • October 13, 2026
0 vs. prior day
National Rank #2 of 51 states
vs. National Average +37.8 points
30-yr Rate Used 7.472%
Median Home Value $188,000
Median Household Income $60,773

Housing Affordability Across U.S. States

MBR-HAI score for every state as of October 13, 2026, with Arkansas outlined. Green states are more affordable than the national baseline of 100; red states are less affordable. Hover for the rank; click through to any state.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia District of Columbia
Highly Affordable (120+) More Affordable (110-119) Near Average (90-109) Moderately Less (70-89) Significantly Less (50-69) Least Affordable (under 50)

National baseline = 100 (computed at the 6.5% reference rate). Scores update every morning. Hover any state for its rank; click to open that state's page.

Free to reuse with the citation shown on the image.

Put this score card on your website

A compact, self-updating MBR-HAI score card for sidebars, articles, and listings. Paste it once; the score refreshes every day. Free for anyone to use. Citation required, attribution link optional.

Citation required: include Source: MBR Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com wherever the score appears (already in the snippet).

Arkansas Affordability Ranking

#2 of 51 states · October 13, 2026 Top 20% most affordable
Most Affordable Least Affordable
More affordable than: 49 of 51 states (96%)
Less affordable than: 1 of 51 states (2%)
MBR-HAI Score: 134.9 vs. national 97.1 (+37.8 points)
Nearby States
#1 WV 144.4
#2 Arkansas ◀ 134.9
#3 AL 133.6
#4 MS 130.7
↓ 47 less affordable states below
Top 5 Most Affordable
#1 WV 144.4
#2 AR ◀ 134.9
#3 AL 133.6
#4 MS 130.7
#5 IA 125.0
Bottom 5 Least Affordable
#47 OR 77.8
#48 DC 77.2
#49 MA 76.0
#50 HI 69.0
#51 CA 67.4

View full 51-state rankings →

Arkansas MBR-HAI · 90-Day Trend

Arkansas
National Average

Dashed line = national average. Amber dashed line = 100 baseline. Score updates each morning after the nightly rate aggregation run.

Key Affordability Factors · Arkansas

$188,000
Median Home Value
U.S. median: varies by state
$60,773
Median Household Income
U.S. median: $80,734
3.1x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Home value ÷ income
$836/mo
Median Owner Costs
16.5% of income annually
$1,075/yr
Median Property Tax
0.57% effective rate
69.2%
Homeownership Rate
U.S. average: 65.7%
22.3%
Owner Cost Burden
% spending 30%+ of income on housing
7.472%
30-yr Mortgage Rate
State average • October 13, 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and Current Population Survey. Mortgage rate from MBR live rate database.

How Arkansas Ranks Among All States

#2
of 51 states
Least Affordable Most Affordable
Arkansas is more affordable than 98% of U.S. states, Highly Affordable
134.9
MBR-HAI Score
Rank State MBR-HAI Score Affordability
1 West Virginia 144.4 Highly Affordable
2 Arkansas You are here 134.9 Highly Affordable
3 Alabama 133.6 Highly Affordable
4 Mississippi 130.7 Highly Affordable
5 Iowa 125.0 Highly Affordable
▼ See all 51 state rankings →

Showing states ranked near Arkansas · October 13, 2026 • View complete national rankings →

Download Arkansas HAI Data

Arkansas History (CSV)
Daily score vs. national • all dates
date,state,hai_score,national_score,rate_used
2026-10-13,AR,134.9,97.1,7.472
Download AR History (CSV)
All 51 States (CSV)
Compare Arkansas to every state

Daily scores for all 51 states, filter by state or date in Excel or Google Sheets.

All States (CSV)
Cite the Arkansas MBR-HAI
Editorial / press citation
“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 13, 2026. Arkansas score: 134.9 (Highly Affordable), ranked #2 of 51 states. Methodology: monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index-methodology”
APA 7th edition (academic)
Monitor Bank Rates LLC. (2026, October 13). MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index: Arkansas [Data set]. https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/arkansas/

Press & Citation Resources · Arkansas

Ready-to-publish sentences using today's Arkansas data, an email template you can send to clients, and direct contact for press inquiries or custom data requests.

Ready-to-Publish Sentences

Each sentence updates daily with the live Arkansas score. Free for editorial use with attribution to MonitorBankRates.

News Lead · AP-style, factual

In Arkansas, the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index stood at 134.9 on October 13, 2026, ranking #2 of 51 U.S. states for homeownership affordability and indicating highly affordable conditions relative to the national baseline. The state-level reading combines Arkansas's 30-year mortgage rate average of 7.472% with U.S. Census Bureau housing values, household income, property taxes, and cost burden data.

Analyst Quote · with voice, attributable

“Arkansas's MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index score of 134.9 places it #2 of 51 nationwide. Above the 100 baseline, that means buyer purchasing power in Arkansas is stronger than the long-run national average computed at a 6.5% mortgage rate. The state's 30-year average is currently 7.472%, and the index outperforms the national average.”

Brian McKay, MonitorBankRates

Social Media · concise, share-friendly

🏠 MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index. Arkansas: 134.9 (Highly Affordable), rank #2 of 51 states. 30-yr mortgage avg: 7.47%. National baseline = 100. Updated daily · via @MonitorBankRates → https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/arkansas/

Casual / Blog · conversational

Housing affordability in Arkansas is currently sitting at 134.9 on the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, ranking it #2 of 51 U.S. states. With 100 representing the long-term national baseline at a 6.5% reference rate, Arkansas's 30-year mortgage rate of 7.47% reflects highly affordable conditions for local buyers. The state outperforms the national average as a whole.

Mortgage Broker Email Template

Pre-written client update for Arkansas homebuyers. Personalize the bracketed fields and send.

SubjectHousing affordability snapshot for Arkansas: what it means for your search
Hi [Client Name], Wanted to share a quick affordability snapshot for Arkansas from the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, a daily-updated composite that tracks how affordable U.S. homeownership is right now. Arkansas's current reading: 134.9 (Highly Affordable), rank #2 of 51 states National reading: 97.130-year mortgage rate average in Arkansas: 7.472% The index baseline of 100 represents long-run typical conditions at a 6.5% reference rate. Arkansas currently outperforms the national average. For full state context (including the 90-day trend, key affordability factors, and how Arkansas compares to neighboring states) see: https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/arkansas/ Always happy to discuss what this means for your specific situation. Best, [Your Name]

For Press & Researchers

The Arkansas MBR-HAI is free to cite for editorial, academic, and policy use with attribution. We're happy to provide additional support:

  • Custom data cuts: Arkansas metros, MSAs, or historical slices on request
  • Embargo-friendly releases: give us 24 hours notice for scheduled coverage
  • Background interviews: methodology, market context, or commentary on rate moves
  • Direct contact: contact form or reply to any address listed there

For our published citation history and recent media mentions, see MBR in the Press.