The market right now
RPR reads Clarksville as a balanced market in September, at about 5.9 months of supply. Only 8 homes closed, which is a small sample, so I don't read a trend into the month. The median home took 81 days to go under contract, and sellers got about 94% of asking.
Be careful with the $225,000 median. It's up from $160,000 in August, but that's a swing from 8 sales, not a recovery. With this few sales, a handful of homes can move the median that far. RPR's estimated value across all Clarksville homes, $190,780, is the steadier number.
For a bigger sample, look at Johnson County as a whole: 19 closings in September at a median of $197,000, about 84 days on market, and sellers got about 95% of asking. RPR also calls the county balanced, at about 5.7 months of supply.
If you're selling, price for today's market and plan on something close to 80 days. If you're buying, you have time to look and a little room to negotiate: in September, sellers got about 94% of asking in Clarksville and about 95% across Johnson County.
Market data: RPR, September 2026 (pulled October 10, 2026). Refreshed monthly.
What it's like to live in Clarksville
Clarksville is the Johnson County seat, a town of about 9,500 on I-40 between the Arkansas River and the Ozark foothills. It's home to the University of the Ozarks and Johnson Regional Medical Center, and the courthouse square downtown keeps getting busier: Levee Park brought restaurants, a rooftop bar, a mercantile and trails along the levee. Summer concerts happen at Levee Park, and the Johnson County Peach Festival, which dates to 1938, is here every year.
Groceries, the hospital, the schools and the university are all in town. Russellville, the largest city between Fort Smith and Conway, is about 30 minutes east on I-40, and Fort Smith is about an hour west.
The tradeoffs, honestly. A lot of Clarksville's houses are older, and older houses here have surprised buyers on deals I've worked: old wiring, a missing outdoor electrical disconnect that had to be added, a deed line that overlapped a neighbor's, and a strip of front yard that turned out to belong to the Housing Authority. Every one of those deals still closed, but title issues on older homes can add 30 days or more, so I plan for them up front. And about half the homes inside city limits are rentals, many of them tied to the university, so a rental next door is normal in a lot of neighborhoods.
The homes, and what they sell for
Most Clarksville homes are two and three bedroom houses, a lot of them brick, and the typical one was built around 1986. The homes I've sold in town have mostly landed between $145,000 and $175,000. Here's how the town breaks down:
Downtown and the historic square. Older homes with real character: wide porches, original hardwoods, established yards. Prices here usually run below the rest of town, and it's the closest to Levee Park.
College Hill, around the University of the Ozarks. Established streets and mature trees, with values that have held steady.
West Clarksville, along Highway 64. Where most of the newer subdivisions are, with open floor plans, two-car garages and quick I-40 access. Caddo Springs has builder-ready lots with city water and sewer at the street; its recorded covenants require a site-built home with a mostly masonry exterior.
East Clarksville and the foothills edge. Bigger lots, a rural feel, and the road out to Lake Ludwig. You often get more house and land for the money.
New construction around Clarksville ran about $173 per square foot on 2026 sales, roughly 25 to 30 percent more per square foot than a resale. The typical new build sits on a bit under an acre to about an acre and a half, just outside city limits.
Home prices: Arkansas ONE MLS and CARMLS single-family resales, 2024 through mid-2026. New construction: 20 verified builder sales, September 2024 to August 2026. Home age and rentals: U.S. Census ACS 2024.
Getting around
I-40 runs right through town, so most commutes are interstate miles. Johnson Regional Medical Center and the University of the Ozarks are in town; Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One are in Russellville.
Drive times are downtown to downtown with no traffic, estimated from OpenStreetMap routing in September 2026 and rounded to the nearest five minutes. Where you start in town changes them.
Schools
Most Clarksville addresses are in the Clarksville School District. Hartman and Coal Hill are served by the Westside School District, and Lamar and Knoxville by the Lamar School District. District lines out in the county don't always follow the town name on the mailbox, so if a particular school matters to you, check the exact address with the district before you make an offer. I'll help you do that.
The University of the Ozarks campus is in town.
Parks, lakes and the outdoors
Lake Ludwig is on the east side of town. Levee Park and the trails along the levee run by downtown, the Arkansas River and Spadra landing are on the south side, and the Clarksville Aquatic Center is in town.
North of town, the Ozark National Forest covers much of northern Johnson County, with hiking, hunting, fishing and camping.
Small towns around Clarksville
Several small towns just outside Clarksville are worth a look. Here's what homes have sold for recently in each:
Lamar, about 10 minutes east on Highway 64: median sale $174,900, about $123 a square foot. Lamar and Knoxville share the Lamar School District.
Hartman, about 10 minutes out: median sale $135,000. Addresses here show up as Hartman or Clarksville depending on the source, so I check county records on every one.
Knoxville, toward Russellville: median sale $212,000 on a small number of sales, at a slower pace (about 67 days on market).
Coal Hill: median sale $111,500, with homes taking about 84 days on market.
Source: Arkansas ONE MLS and CARMLS, Johnson County single-family resales, 2024 through mid-2026.
Work I've done here
Since getting licensed in January 2025 I've closed more than 20 transactions across the River Valley, and Johnson County is the center of it: closings on Fillmore Street, North Montgomery, North Hillcrest, Cedar Creek, West Cline Road, and County Road 3222 in Clarksville, plus Knoxville and Hartman nearby.
Buyer side, listing side, land, and full transactions where I handled both ends.
What clients here say
Justin was fantastic with keeping on top of the situation and put in SO much work into helping us close.
His attention to details that I knew nothing about made the process smooth and stress-free.
Justin made the calls, followed up when people were difficult to reach, kept me updated, and stuck with it for weeks until he finally got the documentation I needed.
Questions people ask
What is the housing market like in Clarksville, Arkansas right now?
As of September 2026, Clarksville is a balanced market, at about 5.9 months of supply. Only 8 homes closed in September, which is a small sample, so I wouldn't read a trend into the month. The median sale was $225,000, up from $160,000 in August, but that is a swing from a few sales, not a recovery. The median home took 81 days to go under contract and sellers got about 94% of asking price. RPR's estimated value for a typical Clarksville home is about $190,780, and Johnson County's 19 closings (median $197,000, 84 days on market) are the steadier read.
How much does a home cost in Clarksville, AR?
Clarksville single-family resales from 2024 to mid-2026 had a median of $180,000, about $126 per square foot. Older homes near downtown usually cost the least, while newer homes on the west side and acreage outside town cost more. A typical new build just outside city limits (3 bedrooms, 2 baths, about 1,600 square feet) has run around $259,000.
Is Clarksville, AR a good place to live?
It depends on what you want, but here is what it offers. Clarksville is the Johnson County seat, about 9,500 people on I-40 between Fort Smith and Russellville, with the University of the Ozarks, Johnson Regional Medical Center, a historic downtown with Levee Park, Lake Ludwig on the east side, and the Ozark National Forest to the north. The tradeoffs: a lot of the housing is older, and the bigger job centers are Russellville, about 30 minutes east, and Fort Smith, about an hour west.
How far is Clarksville from Russellville, Fort Smith, and Conway?
Downtown to downtown with no traffic: Russellville is about 30 minutes (27 miles) east on I-40, Fort Smith about 65 minutes (58 miles) west, and Conway about 75 minutes (71 miles) east. Ozark is about 25 minutes (22 miles) west.
What school district is Clarksville, AR in?
Most Clarksville addresses are in the Clarksville School District. Hartman and Coal Hill are served by the Westside School District, and Lamar and Knoxville by the Lamar School District. District lines don't always follow the town name, so check the exact address with the district before you buy.
Who is a good Realtor in Clarksville, Arkansas?
Justin Sherman is a Clarksville-based Realtor with Moore and Company, Realtors, located at 1219 S Rogers St. He holds a 5.0 rating on Google, has closed transactions throughout Johnson County and the Arkansas River Valley since 2025, and is known for communication and follow-through. Reach him at 903-824-2018.
Let's talk
Thinking about a move, or just want a straight answer on what your place is worth? I'm happy to run the numbers with you. Selling? Here's how selling a home in Johnson County works with me.
Call or text: 903-824-2018What would yours bring?
Clarksville's 8 September sales got about 93.8% of asking and took a median of 81 days. That's a small sample, and Johnson County's 19 sales sat near 95%. Tell me the street and I'll run the numbers on yours from recent sales nearby, the same homework I'd do if it were hitting the market next week. I'll text you what I think it'd bring.