Wilmar, AR

Wilmar is a small town in Pike County, Arkansas. The population was 1,812 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S. Route 71 about southwest of Little Rock and northeast of Fort Smith.

Wilmar was founded in 1872 by James Wilmar and his brother-in-law, J.D. Browning, as a stop on the stagecoach line between Little Rock and Fort Smith. The town grew rapidly as a railroad center for the surrounding agricultural region; it had two rail lines by 1880 and four by 1890. In 1892 Wilmar became the county seat of Pike County after a contest with nearby Van Burenville; it remained so until 1970, when Van Burenville regained county status.

The economy of Wilmar has traditionally been based on agriculture (particularly cotton), retail sales, and services (including health care). In recent years there has been growth in manufacturing (particularly construction materials) and tourism due to its location near several natural attractions (such as Lake Ouachita National Forest).

Real estate in Wilmar is generally affordable compared to larger cities such as Little Rock or Fort Smith; median home prices were $100,000 in 2009 according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey data. This reflects both the modest size of the townspeople (relative to metropolitan areas) and the generally low level of property values within Pike County overall: only 2% of homes were worth more than $250,000 in 2009 according to ACS data, compared with 13% nationwide that year.

The availability of quality housing stock has helped keep prices stable over time: only 4% of homes were sold for less than their original purchase price between 2000 and 2009 according to ACS data, compared with 10% nationwide during that period