Baxter County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Baxter 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 averageHealthier than 80% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,405 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.3 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.42% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.0 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,347 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Baxter County grew by 2.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 42,405 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Baxter County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.2% of residents. That is 11.1 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,523 15.4% -6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,841 16.1% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,189 19.3% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,389 29.2% +11.1 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 51.5% of the people living in Baxter County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 48.5% Arkansas 49.4%
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100% of everyone living in Baxter County
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Economy
Baxter County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,614 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.19% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Baxter County is about 20% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $244,686 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $845 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.2% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Baxter County is about 24.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $845 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Baxter County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.1 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,152 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,021 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 609 | 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 Baxter 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
Baxter County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 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
Baxter County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Baxter County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.2% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Baxter County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Baxter County, Arkansas?
About 42,405 people live in Baxter County, Arkansas, in 19,347 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 52.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
How densely populated is Baxter County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Baxter County, Arkansas has 72 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Baxter County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($244,686 against $48,614), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $845 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Baxter County, Arkansas have a college degree?
17.0% of adults in Baxter County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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