Five counties in north central Arkansas will be among 21 in the state that will be reappraising property values in 2026. A state law passed in 2023, mandates each county appraise all real estate at its current market value at a minimum of every four years. Next year, Baxter, Marion, Izard, Stone and Boone counties will be among the counties going through the reappraisal which could mean high property taxes for residents in those counties.
A recent article in Arkansas Business was quite eye-opening for anyone not up-to-date on the real estate prices. For the seventeen counties that reappraised on a five-year cycle (all counties will be on four-year cycles starting in 2028), the median increase was 44.16%. Sebastian County, where Fort Smith is located, had the highest increase at 60.23%. Johnson County, also in west central Arkansas, had the second highest increase at 55.1%. All but two of the 17 counties saw an increase of at least 34%. The two below that were Monroe and Woodruff counties in the eastern part of the state.
For the two counties reappraising on a three-year cycle, the median increase was 35.04%.
Baxter County Assessor Jayme Nicholson Johnson says even with those huge numbers across the state from this year, there are caps and freezes in place so the taxes dont rise at the same rate as the property values.
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Homesteaded properties are those that are your primary residence which qualifies for property tax relief. In 2024 it was $500, but for 2025 it rises to $600. For residents over the age of 65 or 100% disabled, they are eligible for a freeze on their property taxes on top of the homestead credit.
Nicholson Johnson says she and her office have already begun working on the 2026 reappraisal in Baxter County.
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The Baxter County Assessor says she expects the numbers in the county will go up again, like they did in 2022, but she doesnt want to take a guess how much right now.
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Nicholson Johnson says anyone who bought a home in 2025 should get a sales validation form to fill out that helps with the reappraisal.
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The last time Baxter County did a reappraisal in 2022, the increase was 35%, which included both residential and commercial and new construction. Nicholson Johnson emphasizes the 35% is full property values and not what residents paid because of the caps and freezes that are in place.
Nicholson Johnson says once the letters go out to those who see an increase in their property values in July, appeals can be scheduled in August with the equalization board. Those appeals will be heard in September.
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