Ashley County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ashley 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.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 85% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,425 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.6 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.62% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,355 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ashley County declined by 17.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,425 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ashley County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,589 19.5% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,372 18.3% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,827 20.8% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,732 20.3% +2.2 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 52.1% of the people living in Ashley County and men 47.9%.
- Women 52.1% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 47.9% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ashley County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ashley County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,065 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.46% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ashley County is about 28% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $89,374 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $703 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ashley County is about 10.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $703 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ashley County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,048 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.3% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 773 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 199 | 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 Ashley County is 16 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
Ashley County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.8% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Ashley County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Ashley County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.2% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 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).
Ashley County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ashley County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley County, AR | 18,425 | $44,065 #1/2 | $89,374 #2/2 | 15.7 min #1/2 |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 24,551 | $39,643 | $159,809 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ashley County, Arkansas.
How big is Ashley County, Arkansas by population?
About 18,425 people live in Ashley County, Arkansas, in 7,355 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Ashley County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ashley County, Arkansas has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Ashley County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($89,374 against $44,065), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $703 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Ashley County, Arkansas have a college degree?
10.8% of adults in Ashley County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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