The Town FilesCoal Hill, Arkansas
City in Johnson County · population 820 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $104,700
- Household income
- $39,148
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 38
- Median age
- 40.1
Coal Hill is a city of 820 people in Johnson County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $104,700, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks better transit than 77% of Arkansas towns, better for families than 71% of Arkansas towns.
How Coal Hill 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 Coal Hill is worth $104,700, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $39,148, which is more affordable than 51% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $621 a month. 67.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Coal Hill | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $104,700 | $128,600 |
| Median rent | $621 | $792 |
| Median household income | $39,148 | $50,408 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.7× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 67.7% | 64.9% |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Coal Hill
| People | Coal Hill | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.1 | 37.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.1% | 17.2% |
| Under 18 | 24.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.5% | 16.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 36.1% | 19.7% |
| Veterans | 7.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 2.0% | 5.3% |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 69.0% | 84.4% |
Weather in Coal Hill
July highs average 92.4°F and January lows 28.6°F. About 49.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.0 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 62 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 67 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
38 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Coal Hill since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 18 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF4, struck on May 24, 2011 about 8.4 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 7 deaths and 129 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 22, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 67 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on January 21, 1999.
Severe weather in Johnson County since 1996
Johnson County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541: Hurricane Laura |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4518: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3461: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Johnson County
Johnson County had 8,068 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $41,859 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Coal Hill itself the ACS puts it at 2.6%.
Public schools in Coal Hill
1 public school with 332 students, about 13.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| WESTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL | 6-12 | 332 | 13.3 |
Towns near Coal Hill
- Hartman, AR2.1 mi · 516 people · home $127,500
- Altus, AR5.7 mi · 665 people · home $108,200
- Clarksville, AR10.4 mi · 9,381 people · home $164,800
- Paris, AR10.8 mi · 3,176 people · home $123,200
- Ozark, AR11.2 mi · 3,542 people · home $124,000
- Lamar, AR15.2 mi · 1,719 people · home $161,700
- Knoxville, AR17.6 mi · 660 people · home $125,700
- Magazine, AR21.1 mi · 740 people · home $85,000
Coal Hill questions
Is Coal Hill, Arkansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Coal Hill scores better for retirees than 30% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 66%. 21.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.1).
How much does a house cost in Coal Hill?
The median owner-occupied home in Coal Hill is valued at $104,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $39,148, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $621 a month.
What is the weather like in Coal Hill?
July highs average 92.4°F and January lows 28.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.3 inches of precipitation a year and 1.0 inches of snow.
Does Coal Hill get tornadoes?
38 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Coal Hill since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF4 on May 24, 2011. 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)