The means test in Arkansas: median income
The official median income for Arkansas, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for Arkansas. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.
- 1 person
- $58,421
- 2 people
- $73,630
- 3 people
- $82,329
- 4 people
- $97,054
- Each extra person
- +$11,100
- Medians apply to cases filed on or after
- April 1, 2026
Some of Arkansas's rules rest on limited sources. Check the official sources below, or ask the court or a legal aid office, before you rely on them.
Check the first step in Arkansas
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Arkansas. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$58,421
- 2 people$73,630
- 3 people$82,329
- 4 people$97,054
- Each extra person+$11,100
Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4
The bankruptcy courts in Arkansas
You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing. Arkansas has two districts (Eastern and Western), served by one bankruptcy court with offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. See court locations: https://www.arb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: One court serves both districts; offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville
Clerk's phone: 501-918-5500
Divisions: One court serves both districts; offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville
Clerk's phone: 479-582-9800 (Fayetteville)
Arkansas exemptions in brief
In Arkansas you choose state or federal exemptions (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).
Home (homestead): only if you are married or the head of a family — Rural home: up to 160 acres worth up to $2,500, but never less than 80 acres regardless of value.
In nearby states
- Mississippi: 1 person $53,978 · 2 people $70,328 · 3 people $82,846 · 4 people $97,464
- Missouri: 1 person $64,972 · 2 people $82,075 · 3 people $100,228 · 4 people $118,530
- Louisiana: 1 person $59,447 · 2 people $72,348 · 3 people $84,602 · 4 people $103,628
- Oklahoma: 1 person $61,180 · 2 people $77,208 · 3 people $86,845 · 4 people $101,798
- Tennessee: 1 person $63,979 · 2 people $82,846 · 3 people $97,511 · 4 people $109,585
- Alabama: 1 person $64,321 · 2 people $77,451 · 3 people $92,698 · 4 people $106,740
What to do now in Arkansas
Total your income
Add every source of household income for the last 6 months.
Start with Form 122A-1
Your income is figured on Official Form 122A-1.
When income is higher
You continue with Official Form 122A-2.
Where the forms go
The forms are filed with Eastern District and Western District.
Talk to legal aid
Legal aid can help for free: Legal Aid of Arkansas and Arkansas Legal Services Online.
Free legal help in Arkansas
Questions about the means test in Arkansas
What is the homestead exemption in Arkansas?
Only if you are married or the head of a family. Rural home (outside a city or town): up to 160 acres worth up to $2,500, but never less than 80 acres regardless of value. Home in a city or town: up to 1 acre worth up to $2,500, but never less than 1/4 acre regardless of value.
Which bankruptcy court do I use in Arkansas?
You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing. Arkansas has two districts (Eastern and Western), served by one bankruptcy court with offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. See court locations: https://www.arb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.
What is the median income for the means test in Arkansas?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $58,421; 2 people: $73,630; 3 people: $82,329; 4 people: $97,054; Each extra person: +$11,100.