Ouachita County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ouachita 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 80% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,085 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.9 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.40% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,623 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ouachita County declined by 15.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,085 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ouachita County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,234 19.2% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,929 17.8% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,750 21.5% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,567 20.7% +2.6 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 52.2% of the people living in Ouachita County and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 47.8% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ouachita County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ouachita County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,857 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.89% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ouachita County is about 20% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,219 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $763 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ouachita County is about 9.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $763 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ouachita County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.7 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,743 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.6% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,925 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 381 | 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 Ouachita 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
Ouachita County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.9% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 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
Ouachita County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Ouachita County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.2% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.1% | 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).
Ouachita County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ouachita County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita County, AR | 22,085 | $48,857 #3/3 | $86,219 #1/3 | 18.4 min #3/3 |
| Union County, AR | 37,897 | $54,805 | $24,462 | 16.9 min |
| Columbia County, AR | 22,349 | $52,232 | $27,499 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ouachita County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Ouachita County, Arkansas?
About 22,085 people live in Ouachita County, Arkansas, in 8,623 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Ouachita County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Ouachita County, Arkansas has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Ouachita County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($86,219 against $48,857), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $763 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Ouachita County, Arkansas?
13.9% of adults in Ouachita 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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