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Main Street storefronts in downtown Jonesboro, Arkansas on a Saturday night

Investor-friendly real estate agents in Jonesboro, AR

We match investors with vetted Jonesboro-area agents who own rentals, run the numbers, and know the local rules. Free for investors.

Get matched in Jonesboro
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investing strategies covered
Downtown Jonesboro on a Saturday night. Photo: Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who you'll work with

Vetted investor agents across the Jonesboro metro

Jonesboro has the best rent-to-price of our Arkansas markets. Typical home values in the metro are about $204,000 and typical rent about $1,240, roughly 0.61% a month. That's still under the 1% rule and won't cash flow at the median price with a mortgage at today's rates, but a rental bought below median can. It's also growing: the metro is up about 15% since 2010 to roughly 139,000 people, and jobs are up about 7% since 2019. It's a small market, home to Arkansas State University and the regional center for Northeast Arkansas, about an hour from Memphis. Arkansas law is landlord-friendly, and the city requires a privilege license for short-term rentals. Our vetted agent partner has worked full time in Jonesboro since 2017, covers about 100 miles around it, and owns rental units himself.

Buy-and-hold rentals

Investor purchases in Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas from a full-time agent who owns and runs rental units himself.

Areas our agents cover
JonesboroCraighead CountyNortheast Arkansas
The main campus mall at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro
Arkansas State University's main campus mall. Students add to rental demand.Photo: Zereshk, CC BY 3.0
An old Rensselaer Valve Co. fire hydrant on a sidewalk in downtown Jonesboro
An old fire hydrant in downtown Jonesboro.Photo: Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0
Highway signs where US 78 turns onto Interstate 555 in Jonesboro, Arkansas
I-555 links Jonesboro to I-55 and Memphis, about an hour away.Photo: Brandonrush, CC0 1.0
Market signals

Is Jonesboro worth investing in? The long-term trends

People, jobs, rents and prices for the Jonesboro metro, straight from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zillow. Hover or tap a chart for exact values.

Metro population
+9.0% in 10 years, to 139K people
110K120K130K140K20102014201820222025139K
July 1 estimates; 2010–2019 are Census intercensal estimates, consistent with the 2020 Census. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (Jonesboro, AR metro)
View data table
PeriodValue
2010121,234
2011122,731
2012124,072
2013125,519
2014126,404
2015127,954
2016129,366
2017130,583
2018132,071
2019133,289
2020134,577
2021134,378
2022135,232
2023136,618
2024138,696
2025139,440
Net move-ins from the rest of the U.S.
+10K net domestic movers since 2010
−50005001K1.5K201120142017202020232025
Net domestic migration, year ending July 1. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (Jonesboro, AR metro)
View data table
PeriodValue
2011+925
2012+723
2013+894
2014+313
2015+885
2016+616
2017+751
2018+920
2019+787
2020+830
2021-398
2022+572
2023+1,033
2024+1,310
2025+182
Jobs (total nonfarm)
+19% since 2015, about 10K jobs added
45K50K55K60K65K2010201420182022202564K
Annual average, complete years. Latest month: August 2026, 64,500 jobs (not seasonally adjusted). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (total nonfarm)
View data table
PeriodValue
201048,900
201150,200
201250,800
201351,800
201452,600
201554,200
201655,900
201757,500
201858,800
201960,300
202059,000
202161,400
202262,200
202362,800
202463,700
202564,400
Typical rent
+53% since 2016, +2.8% over the past year
$600$800$1,000$1,200201620182020202220242026$1,237
Typical asking rent, all homes (smoothed). Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), Jonesboro, AR metro
View data table
PeriodValue
Dec 2016$830/mo
Dec 2017$837/mo
Dec 2018$862/mo
Dec 2019$890/mo
Dec 2020$925/mo
Dec 2021$1,003/mo
Dec 2022$1,044/mo
Dec 2023$1,101/mo
Dec 2024$1,151/mo
Dec 2025$1,187/mo
Sep 2026$1,237/mo
Typical home value
+60% over 10 years, +4.4% over the past year
$100K$150K$200K201020132016202020232026$204K
Typical home value, mid-tier, seasonally adjusted. Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Jonesboro, AR metro
View data table
PeriodValue
Dec 2010$113,407
Dec 2011$115,263
Dec 2012$116,349
Dec 2013$118,795
Dec 2014$121,328
Dec 2015$124,100
Dec 2016$128,305
Dec 2017$132,689
Dec 2018$137,365
Dec 2019$144,398
Dec 2020$155,745
Dec 2021$177,118
Dec 2022$188,794
Dec 2023$194,272
Dec 2024$194,682
Dec 2025$198,399
Sep 2026$203,787
Price-to-rent ratio
13.7× today, down from a 15.2× peak in 2022
12×13×14×15×20162018202020222024202613.7×
Typical home value ÷ 12 months of typical rent. Lower means rents cover more of the price. Source: Agents Invest calculation from Zillow ZHVI and ZORI
View data table
PeriodValue
Dec 201612.9×
Dec 201713.2×
Dec 201813.3×
Dec 201913.5×
Dec 202014.0×
Dec 202114.7×
Dec 202215.1×
Dec 202314.7×
Dec 202414.1×
Dec 202513.9×
Sep 202613.7×

Data retrieved October 16, 2026. Figures cover the Jonesboro metro area.

Investing in Jonesboro

The numbers and rules that matter in Jonesboro

Typical home value
~$204,000

Zillow Home Value Index, Jonesboro metro, Sep 2026 (+4.4% YoY).

Typical rent
~$1,240/mo

Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types, Sep 2026 (+2.8% YoY). Single-family 3-beds rent higher.

Monthly rent-to-price
~0.61%

Typical rent ÷ typical home value. Well under the 1% rule; plan on cash flow from buying right, not from rents.

Direction
Rising

Over the past year: home values +4.4%, rents +2.8%.

Arkansas landlord-tenant basics

Arkansas is one of the most landlord-friendly states. The main rules are in the Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 (Ark. Code Title 18, Chapter 17) and the deposit and eviction statutes in Chapter 16. The points investors ask about most:

  • Security deposit: capped at two months' rent, and within 60 days after move-out you return it or send an itemized list of deductions. The deposit law generally applies only to landlords with six or more rental units.
  • Minimum standards: since November 1, 2021 (Act 1052), leases entered into or renewed must provide hot and cold running water, electricity, potable drinking water, a sanitary sewer and working plumbing, a functioning roof and building envelope, and heat and air conditioning if the unit had them when leased. Use a move-in defect form; it helps document compliance.
  • Eviction: the civil route is an unlawful detainer case, which starts with a three-day written notice to vacate. Arkansas also still has a criminal failure-to-vacate statute (Ark. Code § 18-16-101): a tenant who doesn't pay and stays past a 10-day written notice can be charged with a misdemeanor. Talk to an Arkansas attorney about which route fits.
  • No local rent control: since 2025 (Act 459), cities and counties can't regulate rent, rental application fees or deposits.
  • Squatters: since 2025 (Act 238), unlawful squatting is a crime, and police can act on a report from the owner or the owner's authorized representative.

Short-term rental rules in Jonesboro

We didn't find a citywide cap or a special permit hearing for short-term rentals in Jonesboro like Little Rock's or Hot Springs'. The city regulates them through a privilege license and its hotel-motel tax.

  • Get a city privilege license before you operate. The city adopted its short-term residential rental requirements in 2018 (Ordinance 18:081).
  • In 2019 (ORD-19:019) the city extended its hotel-motel tax to short-term rentals, including Airbnb-type listings, at 3% of gross receipts.
  • The zoning code lists short-term residential rentals among uses in residential districts. Confirm the zone for the specific address with the city's planning office.
  • Stays under 30 days also owe state and local sales tax plus Arkansas's 2% tourism tax on lodging.
  • Residents have complained to the City Council about problem STRs, so check for rule changes before you buy. HOA covenants can ban STRs regardless.

Last reviewed October 16, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice — rules and fees change, so confirm with the city, the statute, or your attorney before you rely on them. Sources: Zillow Research data (ZHVI, ZORI) — Jonesboro metro; Arkansas Attorney General — Landlord and tenant rights; Arkansas Act 1052 (2021) — Minimum standards for residential rentals; Arkansas SB 25 (2017, Act 159) — Failure to vacate (Ark. Code § 18-16-101); Arkansas Act 459 (2025) — Local rent, fee and deposit control prohibited; Arkansas Act 238 (2025) — Unlawful squatting; City of Jonesboro — ORD-19:019, hotel-motel tax on short-term rentals; City of Jonesboro — RES-19:037, short-term rental privilege license fees; Jonesboro Code, Chapter 117 (Zoning), Article IV — District regulations; Arkansas DFA — Gross receipts tax rules (2% tourism tax on lodging).

Related guides
Nearby market guides
Jonesboro FAQ

Questions investors ask about Jonesboro

Which areas does your Jonesboro agent cover?

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Our vetted agent partner has worked full time in Jonesboro since 2017 and covers about 100 miles around it in Arkansas. He owns rental units himself, so he looks at deals the way an investor does. Tell us your strategy, budget and target area and we'll match you.

Is Jonesboro a good market for cash-flowing rentals?

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Better than most. Typical rent-to-price in the Jonesboro metro is about 0.61% a month, the best of our Arkansas markets, though still under the 1% rule. A rental bought below median can cash flow. It's a small market, so underwrite on street-level rent comps, not metro averages.

Can I run an Airbnb in Jonesboro?

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Yes, with a city privilege license, and you'll owe the city's 3% hotel-motel tax plus state sales and tourism taxes. We didn't find an STR cap like Little Rock's or Hot Springs', but the city has heard complaints about problem rentals, so check for rule changes and HOA restrictions before you buy.

Is Arkansas landlord-friendly?

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Very. Deposits are capped at two months' rent for larger landlords, cities can't impose rent control, and evictions can move quickly. Since 2021, leases must meet basic minimum standards such as water, electricity, sewer, a sound roof and working heat and air if provided.

Can I invest in Jonesboro if I live out of state?

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Yes, but in a small market local knowledge matters more. Pick an agent who walks properties for you, attends inspections, and connects you with contractors and a property manager.

What does it cost to get matched with a Jonesboro agent?

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Nothing. Agents Invest is free for investors. The agent pays us a referral fee only if you close a deal with them.

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