Phillips County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Phillips 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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F
Health Well below averageLeast healthy county in Arkansas
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,415 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.2 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -3.17% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,017 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Phillips County declined by 29.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,415 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Phillips County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,253 21.1% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,585 16.8% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,096 20.1% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,891 18.8% +0.7 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 53.5% of the people living in Phillips County and men 46.5%.
- Women 53.5% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 46.5% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Phillips County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Phillips County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,138 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.13% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 14.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Phillips County is about 34% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $96,741 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $736 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.1% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Phillips County is about 11.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $736 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Phillips County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.4 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,414 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.1% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,494 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 192 | 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 Phillips 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
Phillips County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Phillips County has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | Phillips County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.4 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 32.8% | 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).
Phillips County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Phillips County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips County, AR | 15,415 | $40,138 #1/2 | $96,741 #1/2 | 13.2 min #1/2 |
| Coahoma County, MS | 20,540 | $37,529 | $58,620 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phillips County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Phillips County, Arkansas?
About 15,415 people live in Phillips County, Arkansas, in 6,017 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Phillips County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Phillips County, Arkansas has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Phillips County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($96,741 against $40,138), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $736 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Phillips County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Phillips County, Arkansas is 14.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Phillips County, Arkansas have a college degree?
14.8% of adults in Phillips 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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