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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Bay, AR Housing Affordability Index

Bay, Arkansas has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 189.5 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 144th most affordable of 450 scored Arkansas cities, compared with 135.7 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $118,400 home with 20% down, the Arkansas average 30-year fixed rate of 7.25% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $646, or 13% of the city’s $59,769 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Bay is updated every night from live Arkansas mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Bay MBR-HAI 189.5 Highly Affordable
Rank in Arkansas 144 of 450 1 = most affordable
Arkansas 135.7 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.25% Arkansas lenders
Median home value $118,400 U.S. Census Bureau

Bay is 53.8 points above the Arkansas score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Arkansas index

View Bay Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Bay

$646/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.25%
$27,700
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$59,769
Median Household Income
Arkansas: $60,773
2.0x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Arkansas: 3.1x
$597/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$759/yr
Median Property Tax
0.64% of median value
20.1%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
22.4%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Bay, Arkansas. The rate is the Arkansas average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Bay Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Bay, Arkansas score: 189.5 (Highly Affordable), ranked 144 of 450 Arkansas cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/arkansas/bay”