Newton County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Newton 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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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 84% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,111 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.6 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.44% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,178 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Newton County declined by 14.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,111 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Newton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.1% of residents. That is 9.0 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,267 17.8% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,130 15.9% -5.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,499 21.1% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,928 27.1% +9.0 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 49.7% of the people living in Newton County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 50.3% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Newton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Newton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,188 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Newton County is about 19% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $349,981 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $616 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Newton County is about 47.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $616 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Newton County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 263 hours, about 11.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.6 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.1 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 263 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,155 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.1% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,353 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 353 | 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 Newton County is 32 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
Newton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.6% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Newton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Newton County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.2% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.2% | 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).
Newton County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Newton County, AR is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 7,111 residents against a local median of 38,139. The measure that sets Newton County, AR apart most is median home price: $349,981, more than 5 times the local median of $58,635.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.6 min against a local median of 16.5 min, 92% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 92% above the local median it puts Newton County, AR at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves sit within $79,354 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Newton County, AR, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Newton County, AR has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County, AR | 7,111 | $49,188 #3/4 | $349,981 #1/4 | 31.6 min #4/4 |
| Boone County, AR | 38,139 | $56,003 | $58,635 | 16.3 min |
| Johnson County, AR | 26,012 | $45,972 | $18,708 | 17.1 min |
| Pope County, AR | 64,050 | $57,850 | $98,062 | 16.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Newton County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Newton County, Arkansas?
About 7,111 people live in Newton County, Arkansas, in 3,178 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
How densely populated is Newton County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Newton County, Arkansas has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Newton County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 7.1 times the median household income ($349,981 against $49,188), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $616 a month takes about 15% 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 Newton County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Newton County, Arkansas is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Newton County, Arkansas?
13.6% of adults in Newton 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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