Prairie County
Arkansas · Most recent sourced sale
County snapshot
Prairie County has lost 3.8% of its population since 2020, with net migration of -17 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it.
By population, Prairie County is the 67th largest of Arkansas's 75 counties. It has grown more slowly than the state average (-0.4% across Arkansas) — often where the less contested certificates are, and also where the risk sits. Of the 2024 change, 17 came from people moving out and 59 from deaths outnumbering births.
Counties of similar size in Arkansas with a sale on our calendar: Nevada County, Searcy County, Lee County. Useful if this county's sale has already closed and you want the next comparable one.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census population estimates. Population figures are estimates, not a count.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in Prairie County pays $696 a year in property tax — below the Arkansas median of $1,040 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $794; homes owned outright, $653.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Prairie County, 53.3% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Arkansas: 47.2%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.
20.3% of all housing units in Prairie County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 11.1% of all units (Arkansas: 6.4%, U.S.: 3.6%). That is above the state rate, so expect more empty properties on the delinquent list: the ones least likely to redeem, and the most likely to need work if the deed ends up yours. Drive by before you bid.
Half of the homes in Prairie County were built in or before 1979 (Arkansas: in or before 1987). The typical tax bill is 1.3% of the median household income of $51,646 (Arkansas: 1.7%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Same auction date/venue also covers Lonoke, Arkansas counties.
Quick answers
When is the Prairie County tax sale?+
The most recently sourced Prairie County, Arkansas tax sale date was July 14, 2026 — that cycle has closed, and the next date is not on our calendar yet. Check the source below, or sign up for deal alerts for the next one.
Is Prairie County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+
Prairie County has lost 3.8% of its population since 2020, with net migration of -17 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it. Population in 2024: 7,935. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates, not a recommendation — the county's own delinquency and redemption history matters more, and only the Arkansas treasurer publishes that.
How much is the property tax in Prairie County?+
The median homeowner in Prairie County pays $696 a year, about 0.7% of the median home value of $96,400 (Arkansas: 0.6%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $794, homes owned outright $653. These are U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates); the exact bill for a parcel depends on its assessed value and local rates, and the county tax collector has it.
What type of sale is it?+
Prairie County holds a tax deed sale. Arkansas's statewide system: tax deed (state-run, non-redeemable after sale). What the buyer earns: none to investors; minimum bid = back taxes, interest, penalties and costs.
What's the redemption period in Prairie County?+
Prairie County follows Arkansas's statewide redemption period: Pre-sale only — until 4 p.m. the last business day before the auction.
Other Arkansas sales near this date
Every Arkansas page →- Jul 14, 2026
State-run (Commissioner of State Lands, in-person)
Same auction date/venue also covers Prairie, Lonoke counties.
Official source: cosl.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 14, 2026
State-run (Commissioner of State Lands, in-person)
Same auction date/venue also covers Prairie, Arkansas counties.
Official source: cosl.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 16, 2026
State-run (Commissioner of State Lands, in-person)
Same auction date/venue also covers Dallas, Ouachita, Nevada counties.
Official source: cosl.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 16, 2026
State-run (Commissioner of State Lands, in-person)
Same auction date/venue also covers Clark, Ouachita, Nevada counties.
Official source: cosl.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026
Other sales in July 2026
- Jul 8, 2026
Sheriff (10am–2pm)
Registration opens June 17, closes July 1, 2026.
Official source: ebrso.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 9, 2026
In-person (Platte County Courthouse, 9am)
Official source: plattecountywyoming.com ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 15, 2026
County clerk (in-person, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington)
Official source: kentoncountykyclerk.com ↗checked Sep 3, 2026 - Jul 15, 2026
In-person (9am, registration 8am)
Official source: goshencounty.org ↗checked Sep 3, 2026
Want the full statutory picture for Arkansas, not just Prairie County? Read the Arkansas state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced.
See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, or sign up for deal alerts to hear about new Arkansas dates as soon as we add them.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Auction dates get postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled — always confirm against the official source above before showing up or bidding. Verified 2026-09-03.