Patterson, Walter, Filling Station · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Clinton costs less to live in than 66% of U.S. towns
It ranks #52 of 123 in Arkansas for affordability. Up 1.2% in a year, 23% below the Arkansas typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Van Buren County, AR ($50K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Van Buren County earn ($50K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.5 years of area income, and 64% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $172Ktypical home, 23% below the Arkansas typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $890a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$50K, Van Buren County income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 64%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Arkansas: 45%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Clinton’s housing numbers say
About two in three renters are stretched
64% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 45% across Arkansas. A standard two-bedroom would take 25% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Clinton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton is more affordable than 66% of U.S. towns, #52 of 123 in Arkansas. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged Arkansas: the typical Clinton home is up 14.2% in five years, against 20.2% statewide (Zillow).
Up 14.2% in five years
Slower than Arkansas (20.2%).
Show as a table
| January | Clinton | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $108,000 | $138,000 |
| 2018 | $112,000 | $143,000 |
| 2019 | $112,000 | $148,000 |
| 2020 | $111,000 | $154,000 |
| 2021 | $128,000 | $170,000 |
| 2022 | $158,000 | $194,000 |
| 2023 | $163,000 | $204,000 |
| 2024 | $170,000 | $209,000 |
| 2025 | $172,000 | $217,000 |
| 2026 | $173,000 | $221,000 |
| September 2026 | $172,000 | $224,000 |
A typical Clinton home worth $107K in October 2016 is worth about $172K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clinton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Clinton home, with $38K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $890 a month here, $70 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clinton’s typical property tax (0.38% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $890
Renters already here pay a median of $712, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Conway County, AR): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Clinton in 2025. The last year with any was 2017 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Clinton's population fell by 93 even though 28 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Arkansas: 1.1 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $275,000 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $339,000 |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $360,000 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $360,000 |
| 2012 | 6 | 3 | 3 | $903,000 |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $399,000 |
| 2010 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2009 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2008 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2007 | 10 | 8 | 2 | $1.4 million |
| 2006 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2005 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2004 | 12 | 8 | 4 | $1.3 million |
| 2003 | 19 | 13 | 6 | $2 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Arkansas norm
The median bill is $487 (Arkansas: $1,040), 0.38% of a home’s value a year, against 0.55% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Clinton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | B+ | $172K | $127K | 0.38% | $890 |
Questions about the cost of living in Clinton
Is Clinton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton costs less than 66% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #52 of 123 in Arkansas. The typical home costs 2.5 years of the median household income of Van Buren County, AR ($50K).
How much does a house cost in Clinton?
About $172K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.2% in a year. The Arkansas typical home is $224K.
What salary do you need to live in Clinton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $41,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $960 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $36,000.
How much is rent in Clinton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $890 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $712 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clinton?
The median bill is $487 a year, 0.38% of the median home value (Arkansas: $1,040, 0.55%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clinton going up?
Yes: up 1.2% in the past year and 14.2% in five years, against 20.2% across Arkansas (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clinton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.