The Town FilesAsh Flat, Arkansas
City in Sharp County · population 1,137 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $94,000
- Household income
- $41,667
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 7 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 24
- Median age
- 54.6
Ash Flat is a city of 1,137 people in Sharp County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $94,000, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks quieter than 98% of Arkansas towns, better for a vacation home than 92% of Arkansas towns, easier by car than 83% of Arkansas towns.
How Ash Flat ranks
Percentile among Arkansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arkansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Ash Flat is worth $94,000, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $41,667, which is more affordable than 72% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $663 a month. 54.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ash Flat | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $94,000 | $128,600 |
| Median rent | $663 | $792 |
| Median household income | $41,667 | $50,408 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 54.5% | 64.9% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.2% | — |
Who lives in Ash Flat
| People | Ash Flat | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.6 | 37.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 34.8% | 17.2% |
| Under 18 | 15.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 16.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.4% | 19.7% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| Average commute | 14.1 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.9% | 84.4% |
Weather in Ash Flat
July highs average 89.4°F and January lows 26.3°F. About 51.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 6.7 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 44 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 81 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ash Flat since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 14, 1996 about 6.8 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 75 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 53 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on April 15, 2022.
Severe weather in Sharp County since 1996
Sharp County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4873: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 8, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4865: Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| April 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4788: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Sharp County
Sharp County had 3,954 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $38,491 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Ash Flat itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Towns near Ash Flat
- Cherokee Village, AR4.3 mi · 4,780 people · home $94,600
- Highland, AR5.3 mi · 982 people · home $104,400
- Horseshoe Bend, AR7.4 mi · 2,440 people · home $128,500
- Hardy, AR9.0 mi · 743 people · home $58,600
- Ozark Acres, AR13.0 mi · 692 people · home $73,700
- Salem, AR15.1 mi · 1,566 people · home $105,900
- Oxford, AR17.5 mi · 573 people · home $97,100
- Mammoth Spring, AR18.0 mi · 929 people · home $103,000
Ash Flat questions
Is Ash Flat, Arkansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ash Flat scores better for retirees than 48% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 98%. 34.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.6).
How much does a house cost in Ash Flat?
The median owner-occupied home in Ash Flat is valued at $94,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $41,667, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $663 a month.
What is the weather like in Ash Flat?
July highs average 89.4°F and January lows 26.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.4 inches of precipitation a year and 6.7 inches of snow.
Does Ash Flat get tornadoes?
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ash Flat since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 14, 1996. The typical Arkansas town has had 24.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)