Prairie County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Prairie 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.
-
C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 89% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,064 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.9 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.41% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,256 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Prairie County declined by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,064 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Prairie County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.6% of residents. That is 3.4 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,470 18.2% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,359 16.9% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,826 22.6% +3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,790 22.2% +4.1 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 50.5% of the people living in Prairie County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 49.5% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Prairie County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Prairie County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,769 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.19% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Prairie County is about 13% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $465,999 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $624 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Prairie County is about 62.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $624 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Prairie County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.4 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 198 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,126 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.3% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,492 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 416 | 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 Prairie County is 24 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
Prairie County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.6% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Prairie County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Prairie County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.4% | 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).
Prairie County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Prairie County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie County, AR | 8,064 | $52,769 #3/3 | $465,999 #1/3 | 23.7 min #2/3 |
| Lonoke County, AR | 75,267 | $72,662 | $195,587 | 28.5 min |
| White County, AR | 77,839 | $55,913 | $82,210 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Prairie County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Prairie County, Arkansas?
About 8,064 people live in Prairie County, Arkansas, in 3,256 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 47.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Prairie County, Arkansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Prairie County, Arkansas has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Prairie County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 8.8 times the median household income ($465,999 against $52,769), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $624 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Prairie County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Prairie County, Arkansas is only 3.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Prairie County, Arkansas?
15.6% of adults in Prairie County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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