Hempstead County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hempstead 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 average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,508 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.3 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.61% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,471 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hempstead County declined by 15.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,508 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hempstead 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 3,932 20.2% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,530 18.1% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,141 21.2% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,561 18.3% +0.1 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 52.1% of the people living in Hempstead 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 Hempstead County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hempstead County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,075 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.27% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hempstead County is about 23% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $26,491 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $815 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.7% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hempstead County is about 2.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $815 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hempstead County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.2 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,670 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,212 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 338 | 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 Hempstead County is 18 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
Hempstead County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 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
Hempstead County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hempstead County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.2% | 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).
Hempstead County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Hempstead County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead County, AR | 19,508 | $47,075 #2/2 | $26,491 #2/2 | 18.1 min #2/2 |
| Miller County, AR | 42,360 | $48,586 | $93,055 | 17.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hempstead County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Hempstead County, Arkansas?
About 19,508 people live in Hempstead County, Arkansas, in 7,471 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Hempstead County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hempstead County, Arkansas has 26 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 30% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hempstead County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($26,491 against $47,075), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $815 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Hempstead County, Arkansas?
14.5% of adults in Hempstead County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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