Living in Texarkana, AR
Miller County
Texarkana, Arkansas is a real, genuinely distinctive bi-state city: State Line Avenue runs directly through downtown, with this record's subject -- Texarkana, AR, in Miller County -- on the east side and the real, separately incorporated city of Texarkana, Texas on the west. This record's single most distinctive fact: bona fide residents within the Arkansas-side city limits are genuinely exempt from Arkansas state income tax under a real, longstanding statutory border-city exemption, granted because Texas levies no state income tax at all -- a real, current rule this record discloses with its precise scope (city limits only, not surrounding rural Miller County) rather than overstating it. That real tax advantage comes with a genuine trade-off: Arkansas-side combined sales tax runs approximately 10.25%, meaningfully higher than Texarkana, Texas's own ~8.25% just across the state line. Housing runs genuinely affordable (a Zillow typical home value near $169,100, up 11.5% YoY), and Red River Army Depot, a real U.S. Army sustainment installation established in 1941, anchors the metro as its largest single employer alongside Domtar and Cooper Tire. This record also discloses an honest complication rather than omitting it: Texarkana's own crime data runs genuinely elevated (NeighborhoodScout cites a rate higher than approximately 95% of Arkansas communities), and district-wide state-assessment proficiency ran low even as the district itself carries a solid A- Niche grade.
Explore Texarkana in depth
- Moving to Texarkana: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Texarkana
- Housing Market in Texarkana
- Buying a Home in Texarkana
- Renting in Texarkana
- Taxes in Texarkana
- Homeowners Insurance & Natural Hazard Costs in Texarkana
- Climate & Weather in Texarkana
- Jobs & Economy in Texarkana
- Schools in Texarkana
- Crime & Safety in Texarkana
- Healthcare in Texarkana
- Traffic & Transportation in Texarkana
- Best Areas to Live in Texarkana
- Pros and Cons of Living in Texarkana
- Retiring in Texarkana
- Who Should / Shouldn’t Move to Texarkana
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Miller County level this session. Arkansas's top state income tax rate is 3.70%. See the Arkansas hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Texarkana-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
A real, genuinely rare income-tax exemption for bona fide Texarkana, AR city-limit residents -- among the very few places in the country where residents pay zero state income tax on that basis. Genuinely affordable housing (Zillow typical value ~$169,100) and low property taxes (~0.88% effective rate). Red River Army Depot anchors a real, substantial regional employer base alongside Domtar and Cooper Tire. Two real hospital systems (CHRISTUS St. Michael, Wadley Regional Medical Center) serve the twin-city area. Access to Texas-side amenities and a combined ~143,000-person bi-state metro, without losing Arkansas's own lower cost structure.
Cons
Combined sales tax on the Arkansas side runs a real, genuinely elevated ~10.25% -- notably higher than Texarkana, Texas's own ~8.25% just across State Line Avenue. Crime data runs genuinely elevated per NeighborhoodScout, higher than approximately 95% of Arkansas communities. District-wide state-assessment proficiency ran low (approximately 20% math, 25% reading) even as the district carries a solid A- overall Niche grade. Real tornado and severe-thunderstorm risk applies, consistent with Arkansas's broader Dixie Alley exposure.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits movers specifically drawn to the real, rare border-city income-tax exemption -- especially remote workers, retirees, and Red River Army Depot-connected employees who can genuinely capture that benefit by living within actual Texarkana, AR city limits. Also fits affordability-focused buyers seeking low home prices and low property taxes in a small bi-state metro with real regional hospital access.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who require a low combined sales tax rate (Texarkana, AR's own ~10.25% runs genuinely elevated) or who plan to live just outside the actual city limits without confirming the border-city income-tax exemption does NOT extend there. Movers prioritizing a low, well-documented crime profile above other factors should weigh Texarkana's own genuinely elevated NeighborhoodScout-cited crime data carefully and confirm current, address-specific data directly with local law enforcement.
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