Property Tax in White County, Arkansas
The median real estate tax bill in White County, Arkansas is $761 per year, and the median home is worth $159,600. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the White County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of White County homeowners pay more than $761 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $159,600, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.48%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
White County by the numbers
| Measure | White County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $761 | $1,003 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $159,600 | $175,300 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.48% | 0.57% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $63 | $84 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
White County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Arkansas: #22 of 75 counties
- Median home value rank in Arkansas: #18 of 75
- Population rank in Arkansas: #9 of 75 (77,395 residents)
- Population density rank: #16 of 75 (75 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Arkansas: #2 of 75 (1,033 sq mi, 2.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $63; per $1,000 of home value: $0.48
How White County compares
Of the 75 Arkansas counties with published data, 21 have a higher median property tax bill than White County's $761, putting the county at #22 in the state. Its bill is about 24% lower than the state median of $1,003 and about 74% lower than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.48%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #18 within Arkansas.
Some extra context for White County: the median bill works out to about $63 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $477 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 77,395 people — the #9 most populous county in Arkansas, spread over 1,033 square miles, a density of about 75 people per square mile. Its median home value, $159,600, ranks #18 among the state's 75 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 2701 record a higher median tax bill than White County — it sits in the top 86% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.6% of Arkansas's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $159,600 versus $175,300), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.48% adds up to about 4.77% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Monroe County, medians $405 — $356 less than White County per year.
Counties nearest White County in the Arkansas ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, AR | $792 | $162,200 | 0.49% |
| Baxter County, AR | $765 | $165,400 | 0.46% |
| Newton County, AR | $729 | $178,800 | 0.41% |
| Arkansas County, AR | $722 | $129,400 | 0.56% |
White County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare White County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 77,395 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, White County's median bill of $761 is the lowest.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County, TN | 78,175 | $1,333 | $215,800 | 0.62% |
| Forrest County, MS | 78,027 | $1,284 | $152,900 | 0.84% |
| Augusta County, VA | 77,713 | $1,379 | $281,400 | 0.49% |
| Clallam County, WA | 77,593 | $2,860 | $385,600 | 0.74% |
| Valencia County, NM | 77,382 | $1,365 | $206,800 | 0.66% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 76,945 | $5,968 | $257,200 | 2.32% |
| Cole County, MO | 76,924 | $1,728 | $214,400 | 0.81% |
| Ross County, OH | 76,748 | $1,577 | $158,500 | 0.99% |
The closest population match is Valencia County, New Mexico (77,382 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,365 on a median home value of $206,800 — $604 less than White County pays.
White County's nearest population neighbours within Arkansas are Craighead County (112,097 residents, median tax $1,084 on a median value of $198,700); Garland County (100,062 residents, median tax $915 on a median value of $176,400); Lonoke County (74,747 residents, median tax $1,178 on a median value of $184,100); Jefferson County (65,780 residents, median tax $667 on a median value of $106,000). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.48%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $477 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,908. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in White County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.48% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for White County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.57% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $716 | $60 |
| $250,000 | $1,192 | $99 |
| $350,000 | $1,670 | $139 |
| $500,000 | $2,385 | $199 |
| $750,000 | $3,578 | $298 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in White County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in White County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More Arkansas counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in White County, Arkansas?
The median real estate tax paid in White County, Arkansas is $761 per year, on a median home value of $159,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in White County, Arkansas?
Dividing White County's median tax bill ($761) by its median home value ($159,600) gives a derived effective rate of 0.48%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does White County compare with the rest of Arkansas?
White County ranks #22 of 75 Arkansas counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $761 is about 24% lower than the Arkansas median of $1,003.
How are property taxes calculated in White County, Arkansas?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in White County is $761 of tax on a $159,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in White County, Arkansas?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the White County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.