Arkansas County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Arkansas County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 76% of counties in Arkansas
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,514 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 15.9 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.48% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,705 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Arkansas County declined by 15.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,514 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Arkansas County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,069 18.6% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,032 18.4% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,497 21.2% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,331 20.2% +2.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Arkansas County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 48.4% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Arkansas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Arkansas County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,500 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.04% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Arkansas County is about 12% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $382,758 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $843 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Arkansas County is about 37.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $843 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Arkansas County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.9 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,065 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.8% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 447 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Arkansas County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Arkansas County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Arkansas County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Arkansas County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Arkansas County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Arkansas County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas County, AR | 16,514 | $53,500 #1/2 | $382,758 #1/2 | 11.9 min #1/2 |
| Jefferson County, AR | 64,799 | $50,870 | $19,534 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Arkansas County, Arkansas.
How big is Arkansas County, Arkansas by population?
About 16,514 people live in Arkansas County, Arkansas, in 6,705 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Arkansas County, Arkansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Arkansas County, Arkansas has 16 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 18% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Arkansas County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 7.2 times the median household income ($382,758 against $53,500), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $843 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Arkansas County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Arkansas County, Arkansas is 8.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Arkansas County, Arkansas?
14.5% of adults in Arkansas County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →