Garland County Property Tax Calculator
All millage figures on this page are 2026 collection rates from the Arkansas DFA Assessment Coordination Division 2025 Millage Report (March 2026).
How Garland County property taxes are calculated
Arkansas assesses real property at 20% of market value. Garland County multiplies the assessed value by the total millage for the parcel's school district and city, where one mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value, then subtracts the homestead credit if one applies.
Take a $250,000 home in the city of Hot Springs inside the Hot Springs #6 district, at 45.2 mills for 2026 collections:
- $250,000 market value times 20% equals $50,000 assessed value.
- $50,000 times 45.2 divided by 1,000 equals $2,260 tax before credit.
- Subtract the $600 homestead credit to reach $1,660 estimated annual tax.
Move the same house into rural Mountain Pine at 37.31 mills and the tax before credit falls to $1,866, or $1,266 after the credit, a $394 difference. Now compare Cutter Morning Star at 52.2 mills, where the tax before credit reaches $2,610: an $1,110 annual swing between the cheapest and most expensive district in the county.
Garland County millage rates by district and city
Every row is a published Garland County taxing combination for 2026 collections. Note how often the city column is zero: Hot Springs levies no city millage at all, so in this county the school district is almost the whole story.
| School district | City or area | School | City | County | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter Morning Star #4 | Rural | 48.6 | 0 | 3.6 | 52.2 |
| Cutter Morning Star #4 | Hot Springs | 48.6 | 0 | 3.6 | 52.2 |
| Fountain Lake #18 | Rural | 34.8 | 0 | 3.6 | 38.4 |
| Fountain Lake #18 | Ftn. Lake | 34.8 | 0 | 3.6 | 38.4 |
| Fountain Lake #18 | Hot Springs | 34.8 | 0 | 3.6 | 38.4 |
| Hot Springs #6 | Rural | 41.6 | 0 | 3.6 | 45.2 |
| Hot Springs #6 | Hot Springs | 41.6 | 0 | 3.6 | 45.2 |
| Jessieville #1 | Rural | 38.7 | 0 | 3.6 | 42.3 |
| Lake Hamilton #5 | Rural | 40.2 | 0 | 3.6 | 43.8 |
| Lake Hamilton #5 | Hot Springs | 40.2 | 0 | 3.6 | 43.8 |
| Lakeside #9 | Rural | 41.3 | 0 | 3.6 | 44.9 |
| Lakeside #9 | Hot Springs | 41.3 | 0 | 3.6 | 44.9 |
| Mountain Pine #46 | Rural | 33.71 | 0 | 3.6 | 37.31 |
| Mountain Pine #46 | Mtn. Pine | 33.71 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 42.31 |
| Benton #8 | Rural | 41.9 | 0 | 3.6 | 45.5 |
| Benton #8 | Lonsdale | 41.9 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 47.0 |
| Centerpoint #43 | Rural | 38.5 | 0 | 3.6 | 42.1 |
| Magnet Cove #8 | Rural | 47.78 | 0 | 3.6 | 51.38 |
| Mount Ida #20 | Rural | 34.0 | 0 | 3.6 | 37.6 |
| County average | 39.89 | 0.93 | 3.60 | 43.84 |
Garland County rate rows come from the Arkansas DFA Assessment Coordination Division 2025 Millage Report for 2026 collections, issued in March 2026.
Why Garland County rates differ so much inside the county
Garland County works differently from most Arkansas counties. The county levy is a flat 3.6 mills everywhere and is the lowest of the five counties compared on this site, while city millage is essentially absent: only Mountain Pine and Lonsdale levy anything, and Hot Springs levies zero. That leaves the school district as the dominant variable, and the school spreads here are wide. Comparisons from the 2026 collections table:
- Mountain Pine against Cutter Morning Star: 37.31 mills versus 52.2 mills. On a $250,000 home that is $1,866 against $2,610 before credit, a $744 difference driven entirely by the school district.
- Hot Springs city pays the same as rural. A Hot Springs address in the Hot Springs #6 district pays 45.2 mills whether it is inside the city or out in the county, because Hot Springs levies no city millage. That is unusual and worth knowing before comparing two Hot Springs addresses.
- Moving into Mountain Pine city costs exactly 5.0 mills. The Mountain Pine #46 district is 37.31 mills rural and 42.31 in the city, so the city levy adds $250 a year on a $250,000 home.
- Four Hot Springs area districts span 8.4 mills: Lake Hamilton at 43.8, Lakeside at 44.9, Hot Springs #6 at 45.2 and Cutter Morning Star at 52.2. All four serve Hot Springs area addresses, so neighbors in different districts pay noticeably different bills.
Garland County also has a voluntary Animal Control millage of 10.00 stated in the report, which sits outside the adopted totals and can appear on a bill. School districts also cross county lines in every direction: Fountain Lake and Jessieville reach into Saline County, Lakeside into Hot Spring County, and Centerpoint, Magnet Cove and Mount Ida all reach in from neighboring counties.
Hot Springs, Mountain Pine, and the rest of Garland County
Hot Springs
Hot Springs is the county seat and the largest city, and it levies no city millage at all for 2026 collections. That means two Hot Springs addresses in different school districts can sit 8.4 mills apart, while a Hot Springs city address and a rural parcel in the same district pay exactly the same rate. The city sits in the Hot Springs #6, Lake Hamilton, Lakeside, Fountain Lake and Cutter Morning Star district rows simultaneously.
Mountain Pine
Mountain Pine is one of only two Garland County cities that levy millage, at 5.0 mills, and it has the lowest school levy in the county at 33.71 mills. The combination makes rural Mountain Pine the cheapest rate in Garland County at 37.31 mills, while inside the city it is still a low 42.31 mills.
Lonsdale
Lonsdale levies 1.5 city mills inside the Benton #8 district, taking a rural 45.5 mills to 47.0 mills inside the city. It is the only other incorporated place in Garland County with a city levy.
Fountain Lake and the lake communities
The Fountain Lake district carries the lowest school levy in Garland County at 34.8 mills, which produces a 38.4 mill rate in the rural tier, in Ftn. Lake, and for Hot Springs addresses inside that district. Lake Hamilton and Lakeside, which serve the lake areas outside Hot Springs, sit at 43.8 and 44.9 mills.
Garland County Assessor
Official name: Garland County Assessor's Office. Assessor: Shannon Sharp. The assessor discovers, lists and values all real and personal property in the county, maintains parcel records, and handles homestead filings. Garland contracts its appraisal work to Arkansas CAMA Technology, which is a useful detail: for a question about how your value was calculated, that firm is often the fastest route.
Sources: Garland County Assessor's Office and Garland County Equalization Board. The county does not publish assessor office hours.
Garland County Tax Collector
Official name: Garland County Tax Collector. Collector: Rebecca Dodd Talbert. The collector collects the ad valorem tax on personal and real estate, including municipal, county, library, school and improvement district taxes. Cheques are made payable to the collector by name, which is worth noting because it differs from counties that address the office rather than the officer.
Source: Garland County Tax Collector. For the office split in general, see Arkansas property tax assessor versus collector.
This calculator uses the county average of 43.84 mills for 2026 collections, the Arkansas 20% assessment ratio and the homestead credit. Your parcel's school district is the single biggest reason your bill will differ from the estimate.
How to look up a Garland County parcel and its tax
Garland County runs its public property search through actDataScout, with separate systems for real property, personal property and mapping, plus an online personal property assessment tool. The county link for the map search comes with the county ID already set.
- Open the actDataScout real property search for Garland County and find the parcel by parcel number, owner name or address.
- Read the market value and assessed value. Arkansas assessed value is 20% of market value.
- Note the school district and city shown on the record. With Hot Springs levying no city millage, the district alone usually determines the rate here.
- Open the actDataScout map search, which is preset to Garland County, if you want to see the parcel against district boundaries.
- To see what is owed, use the county payment portal or the combined tax and trash service at arkansastaxsearch.com. The trash service is worth checking even if you are only researching, because a delinquent county trash bill blocks property tax payment.
Sources: Garland County Assessor's Office and Garland County Tax Collector.
Two Garland rules catch people out: county trash bills must be current before property tax can be paid, and credit card payment is suspended from October 16 through November while the tax books roll over.
Paying Garland County property taxes
Current personal and real estate taxes are due March 1 and may be paid through October 15. A 10% penalty, daily interest and an advertising fee are added if payment is not received or postmarked by October 15.
Payment methods published by the collector
- Online: the Arkansas.gov Garland County payment service, or the combined tax and trash inquiry and payment service. Accepted cards are Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
- In person: the Tax Collector's Office at Suite 110 in the Government Office Building.
- By mail: made payable to Rebecca Dodd Talbert, Tax Collector, at 200 Woodbine, Suite 108, Hot Springs, AR 71901. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want a receipt.
- Drop box: between the Government Office Building and the Senior Citizen Building. No cash.
Four Garland-specific rules are worth reading before you plan a payment. First, the county trash bill must be current before property taxes can be paid, under County Ordinance No. 0-01-14, and accounts with a Solid Waste block cannot be paid by credit card at all. Second, credit card payments are not accepted from October 16 until approximately the beginning of November, which covers the window when many late payers would want them. Third, no checks are accepted on delinquent taxes. Fourth, partial payments in any amount may be made on current taxes only. The general deadline framework is in Arkansas property tax due dates.
Sources: Garland County payment options and Garland County Tax Collector. The county does not publish a card fee amount.
Homestead credit in Garland County
The homestead credit reduces property tax on a qualifying primary residence and is administered by the Garland County Assessor's Office. Garland publishes a dated, year-numbered homestead form, which makes it easy to confirm you have the current version.
The calculator on this page models a 2026 bill, so it uses $600. The $675 figure applies to assessment year 2026 and is billed in 2027. Garland's assessor's office does not publish a specific dollar amount or a county-specific application deadline, so rely on the statewide rule that applications must be submitted by October 15 to receive the credit for that year, and confirm with the assessor at 501-622-3730. Owners who are 65 or older or disabled may also qualify for a freeze on the taxable assessed value of the residence, which the county publicises as a separate benefit. Full filing steps: how to apply for the Arkansas homestead credit.
Sources: Garland County Assessor's Office and Arkansas DFA property tax relief.
Appealing a Garland County assessment
Garland County asks owners to call Arkansas CAMA Technology at 501-623-2030 before filing a formal appeal. That firm performs the county's assessments and can often resolve problems such as incorrect square footage or acreage without a hearing. If it cannot, the County Clerk schedules the Board of Equalization hearing.
Three Garland County rules shape how you should prepare, and they are stricter than most counties:
- The burden of proof is on you, not the assessor. The county states that the burden of proof that a property has been wrongfully assessed lies with the property owner, and that unless proven inaccurate, the assessor's assessment stands.
- Bring documentation. The county lists a fee appraisal and current sales data from the previous year as the supporting documents to bring.
- The Board will not discuss property by phone. You must either attend a scheduled hearing or submit a written petition, letter or appeal on which the Board will base a decision.
Appointments are made through the County Clerk at 501-622-3610 and must be scheduled before the third Monday in August. The Board is in regular session from August 1 through September 30. Appointment times run 30 minutes for one house and 30 minutes for each additional, or 60 minutes per apartment or commercial property. If you intend to rely on the income method for an income-producing property, Arkansas CAMA Technology needs that information at least ten business days before the hearing, or the assessment will be made using averages of similar properties.
If the Board's decision does not resolve the matter, the next step is a petition to the County Court, which must be filed by the second Monday in October. The County Judge schedules a hearing no later than November 15. Individual owners may file their own petition; a corporation or LLC must use a licensed Arkansas attorney. The county publishes both appeal petition forms on its Equalization Board page. General process: how to appeal a property tax assessment in Arkansas.
Sources: Garland County Equalization Board and Garland County petition to appeal to the County Judge.
Garland County property tax examples
These use the Garland County average of 43.84 mills for 2026 collections with the $600 homestead credit applied. Your parcel uses its own school district combination, so treat these as estimates.
| Market value | Assessed at 20% | Tax before credit | After $600 credit | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $20,000 | $877 | $277 | $23.07 |
| $150,000 | $30,000 | $1,315 | $715 | $59.60 |
| $194,000 | $38,800 | $1,701 | $1,101 | $91.75 |
| $250,000 | $50,000 | $2,192 | $1,592 | $132.67 |
| $500,000 | $100,000 | $4,384 | $3,784 | $315.33 |
Calculated at the 43.84 mill county average for 2026 collections. The credit shown is a single $600 subtraction.
Garland County median home value and median tax
Historical and statistical comparison only. Not a calculator input, and it does not describe your parcel.
Garland County has the lowest effective rate of the five counties compared on this site at 0.48%, which follows from the 3.60 mill county levy and the absence of city millage in Hot Springs. The median home value carries the widest margin of error of this group, partly because the Hot Springs and lake area market includes a large share of second homes and short-term rentals, so the median may not describe a typical full-time resident. Treat these figures as directional context.
Source: ACS 2024 five-year table B25077 and ACS 2024 five-year table B25103. Both are survey estimates with sampling error.
Garland County property tax questions
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No. Hot Springs levies zero city mills for 2026 collections, so a Hot Springs city address pays the same overall rate as a rural parcel in the same school district. Only Mountain Pine at 5.0 mills and Lonsdale at 1.5 mills levy city millage in Garland County.
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No. County Ordinance No. 0-01-14 requires county trash bills to be current before property taxes can be paid. A delinquent trash bill also puts a Solid Waste block on the account, which prevents credit card payment. Environmental services can be reached at 501-622-3658.
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Call Arkansas CAMA Technology at 501-623-2030 first. If that does not resolve it, call the County Clerk at 501-622-3610 to schedule a Board of Equalization hearing before the third Monday in August. The Board sits from August 1 to September 30.
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The county lists a fee appraisal and current sales data from the previous year. For income-producing property using the income method, Arkansas CAMA Technology needs that information at least ten business days before the hearing, or the assessment will be based on averages of similar properties.
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The collector stops taking credit card payments from October 16 until approximately the beginning of November, to allow time for processing mail and rolling the current tax book to delinquent. Card payments are also refused on accounts with a Solid Waste block.
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Partial payments in any amount may be made on current taxes only. Delinquent taxes must be paid in full, and no checks are accepted on delinquent taxes.
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Rural Mountain Pine #46 at 37.31 mills, closely followed by rural Mount Ida #20 at 37.6 mills and Fountain Lake at 38.4 mills. The highest is the Cutter Morning Star district at 52.2 mills, a spread of 14.89 mills across the county.
Nearby county pages
Official sources
County averages and the per-district millage table used on this page.
Search links, contacts, and the 2026 homestead forms.
Payment links, mailing address, hours, and delinquency rules.
The trash bill block, the October card suspension, and partial payment rules.
Burden of proof, evidence required, and appointment procedures.
Homestead credit amounts and the age 65 or disability freeze.