Lawrence County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lawrence 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 82% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,233 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 27.4 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.51% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,613 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lawrence County declined by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,233 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lawrence County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,550 21.9% +0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,942 18.1% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,213 19.8% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,271 20.1% +2.0 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 50.4% of the people living in Lawrence County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 49.6% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lawrence County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lawrence County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,859 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.73% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lawrence County is about 26% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $49,177 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $696 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lawrence County is about 5.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $696 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lawrence County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.0 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,549 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,964 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 517 | 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 Lawrence County is 21 minutes, longer 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
Lawrence County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.9% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Lawrence County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.1% | 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).
Lawrence County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lawrence County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, AR | 16,233 | $44,859 #3/3 | $49,177 #2/3 | 21.5 min #3/3 |
| Craighead County, AR | 113,245 | $59,696 | $222,346 | 17.3 min |
| Independence County, AR | 38,178 | $56,758 | $18,924 | 17.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lawrence County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Lawrence County, Arkansas?
About 16,233 people live in Lawrence County, Arkansas, in 6,613 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Lawrence County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lawrence County, Arkansas has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 32% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lawrence County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($49,177 against $44,859), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $696 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Lawrence County, Arkansas?
11.9% of adults in Lawrence County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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