CostBy County

Cost of Living in Columbia County, Arkansas

$649/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$152,100
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$649/mo
16% below state average
Median Home Value
$152,100
54% below national
Census GRAPI
24.8%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Affordable
Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Columbia County Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Columbia County$649/mo
Arkansas Average$774/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$649/mo
Median Gross Rent
$152,100
Median Home Value
$669/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
24.8%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Columbia County ranks #364 of 3,142 counties for affordability (top 12%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Columbia County Median GRAPI Is 24.8 Percent

The official median gross rent as a percentage of household income (GRAPI) in Columbia County, Arkansas, is 24.8%, according to ACS table B25071. This percentage is 3.6 percentage points below the Arkansas unweighted county mean official GRAPI of 28.4%. The median gross rent for the county was estimated at $649 per month, which is $125 lower than the state unweighted county mean of $774. For renter households, the median income is $32,925. In the owner-occupied sector, the median home value is $152,100, which is above the state unweighted county mean of $141,465. Median selected monthly owner costs for all owner-occupied units are $669, differing from the state unweighted county mean of $663 by $6. These statistics provide a housing cost snapshot based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey and are not intended for use as financial or relocation advice. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Columbia County

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 24.8% of renter household income in Columbia County, which is below the 30% affordability benchmark. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $649 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $669. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $25,960 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The Arkansas unweighted mean of county median rents is $774 per month. Columbia County's $649 median is 16.2% below that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Columbia County

$

Rent Burden

14.1%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$1,291

per month

Owner Cost Burden

14.5%

of gross income

You can likely afford the median home in Columbia County

Median home value is $152,100. Estimated monthly cost: $1,214 vs. your max of $1,291.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income14.1%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $55,334Needed: $25,960
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $55,334Needed: $28,671
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $55,334Needed: $35,398

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Columbia County, Arkansas?
Columbia County, Arkansas has a median monthly rent of $649/mo and a median home value of $152,100. The affordability rating is Affordable, with median gross rent equal to approximately 24.8% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Columbia County?
The median gross rent in Columbia County is $649/mo. This is 16% below state average for Arkansas.
Is Columbia County affordable?
Columbia County is rated Affordable using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 24.8%. Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income.
How does Columbia County's rent compare to the state average?
Columbia County's median rent of $649/mo is 16% below state average of $774/mo for Arkansas.
What is the median home value in Columbia County?
The median home value in Columbia County, Arkansas is $152,100. This is 54% below the national median home value of $332,700.

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Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

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