Howard County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Howard 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 70% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,583 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.1 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.87% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,098 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Howard County declined by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,583 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Howard County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 20.5% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,538 20.2% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,577 20.5% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,383 18.9% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,163 17.2% -0.9 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 52.4% of the people living in Howard County and men 47.6%.
- Women 52.4% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 47.6% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Howard County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Howard County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,731 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.56% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Howard County is about 25% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $102,640 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $689 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Howard County is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $689 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Howard County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.4 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.8 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,461 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,972 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 308 | 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 Howard County is 13 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
Howard County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.2% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Howard County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.0% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 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 Howard County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Howard County, Arkansas?
About 12,583 people live in Howard County, Arkansas, in 5,098 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Howard County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Howard County, Arkansas has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Howard County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($102,640 against $45,731), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $689 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Howard County, Arkansas?
14.2% of adults in Howard 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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