Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $165,825 | $123,805 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.0% | 5.2% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $698 | $913 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.2% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Polk County is about 34% higher than in Arkansas. Rent is about 24% lower than the Arkansas average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 9.0% and 4.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Polk County rose about 44.4% between 2015 and 2023, from $483 to $698. Over the same span, rent in Arkansas rose about 35.1%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.4 yearly household incomes in Polk County.
Buying the median-priced home in Polk County costs roughly 19.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Polk County. The price-to-rent ratio in Arkansas is about 11.3.
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $165,825 | $123,805 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $49,348 | $58,772 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.4 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Polk County rose about 77.5%, while median household income rose about 46.6% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 67.1% | 56.9% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 14.6% | 29.1% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 18.3% | 14.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2012 | 2011 |
Polk County has a homeownership rate of 67.1%, higher than the Arkansas average of 56.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 18.3%, compared with 14.0% in Arkansas.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.44 people | 2.48 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1984 | 1986 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Polk County was built around 1984. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.5 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Polk County, Arkansas.
What is the median home price in Polk County, Arkansas?
The median home price in Polk County, Arkansas is $165,825, higher than the Arkansas average of $123,805.
What is the average home price in Polk County, Arkansas?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Polk County, Arkansas?
The median gross rent in Polk County, Arkansas is $698 per month, lower than the Arkansas average of $913.
What was the median gross rent in Polk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Polk County, Arkansas was $657 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Arkansas?
The price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Arkansas is about 19.8, meaning it would take roughly 19.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Polk County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Polk County, Arkansas?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 9.0% and 4.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Polk County, Arkansas?
67.1% of households in Polk County, Arkansas own their home, higher than the Arkansas average of 56.9%.
What is the vacancy rate in Polk County, Arkansas?
The housing vacancy rate in Polk County, Arkansas is 18.3%, higher than the Arkansas average of 14.0%.