Jackson County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 averageLess healthy than 81% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 93% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,709 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.1 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.57% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,076 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County declined by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,709 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.4% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,365 20.1% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,912 23.4% +2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,494 20.9% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,022 18.1% on par
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 49.9% of the people living in Jackson County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 50.1% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,135 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.46% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 28% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $34,389 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $667 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 4.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $667 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.4 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,925 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.5% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,503 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 443 | 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 Jackson County is 15 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
Jackson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.9% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.4 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.6% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.4% | 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).
Jackson County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jackson County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, AR | 16,709 | $44,135 #3/3 | $34,389 #1/3 | 15.2 min #1/3 |
| Independence County, AR | 38,178 | $56,758 | $18,924 | 17.0 min |
| Poinsett County, AR | 22,543 | $47,208 | $33,456 | 22.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Arkansas.
How big is Jackson County, Arkansas by population?
About 16,709 people live in Jackson County, Arkansas, in 6,076 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Jackson County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson 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.
How affordable is housing in Jackson County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($34,389 against $44,135), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $667 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Jackson County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Jackson County, Arkansas is 9.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Jackson County, Arkansas have a college degree?
10.9% of adults in Jackson 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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