Craighead County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Craighead 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 91% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 91% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 93% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 113,245 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 158.8 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.21% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 44,437 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Craighead County grew by 23.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 113,245 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Craighead County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.1% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 27,302 24.1% +2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 25,200 22.3% +1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,741 18.3% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,534 13.7% -4.4 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 51.4% of the people living in Craighead County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 48.6% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Craighead County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Craighead County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,696 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.87% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Craighead County is about 2% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $222,346 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $957 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.1% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Craighead County is about 19.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $957 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Craighead County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,460 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,651 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,708 | 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 Craighead County is 17 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
Craighead County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Craighead County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Craighead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 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).
Craighead County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Craighead County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craighead County, AR | 113,245 | $59,696 #1/3 | $222,346 #1/3 | 17.3 min #2/3 |
| Poinsett County, AR | 22,543 | $47,208 | $33,456 | 22.3 min |
| Greene County, AR | 46,432 | $58,818 | $137,502 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Craighead County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Craighead County, Arkansas?
About 113,245 people live in Craighead County, Arkansas, in 44,437 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 33.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Craighead County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Craighead County, Arkansas has 159 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Craighead County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($222,346 against $59,696), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $957 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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