What your paycheck buys · Updated every Friday

What a paycheck buys in Arkansas this week

Out of reach · #23 of 50 on affordability · rate for the week of October 22, 2026

A median Arkansas household earning $68,060 a year can afford a home of about $215,000 at this week’s 7.32% average 30-year rate. The median Arkansas listing is $318,743, which would take 41.5% of that household’s gross income, against the usual 28% ceiling.

$215,000

Affordable home price

+$1,416 vs. last week · −$9,401 vs. a year ago

$319,000

Median list price (September 2026)

+$13,743 vs. a year earlier

Affordability index (100 = within reach)

U.S. 66 · Arkansas 74 a year ago

41.5%

Share of income the median listing takes

$2,356/mo incl. taxes & insurance · U.S. 42.5%

$68,000

Median household income (2025)

U.S. $87,000

#23

Rank of 50 (1 = most affordable)

See the full ranking

Compared with a year ago

A year ago, with the 30-year rate at 6.19%, a median list price of $305,000 and median income of $64,540 (2024 figure), the same household could afford about $224,000 and the median listing took 38.1% of income. Affordability in Arkansas has worsened since then.

Nearby in the ranking

#21 South Dakota: can afford $260,000, median listing $375,000
#22 Virginia: can afford $316,000, median listing $456,000
#24 Maine: can afford $300,000, median listing $450,000
#25 Alabama: can afford $216,000, median listing $325,000

Run your own numbers →

How this is calculated: 28% of gross monthly income for housing, 10% down, a 30-year fixed loan at Freddie Mac’s weekly average, and 1.45% of the price a year for taxes and insurance. Full method, caveats, and sources on the main index page. An educational gauge, not a mortgage quote.