Pulaski County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pulaski 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 89% of counties in Arkansas
-
C
Income Below averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Arkansas
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B
Education Around averageBest educated county in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 399,629 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 495.3 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 172,312 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pulaski County grew by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 399,629 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pulaski County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 86,401 21.6% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 88,367 22.1% +1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 77,615 19.4% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 65,685 16.4% -1.7 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 52.4% of the people living in Pulaski County and men 47.6%.
- Women 52.4% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 47.6% Arkansas 49.4%
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100% of everyone living in Pulaski County
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Economy
Pulaski County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,733 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.65% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pulaski County is about 3% higher than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $187,117 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,080 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.0% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pulaski County is about 14.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,080 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pulaski 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 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.9 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,762 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.9% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,307 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,090 | 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 Pulaski 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
Pulaski County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.5% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Pulaski County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.3% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 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).
Pulaski County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Pulaski County, AR is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 399,629 residents against a local median of 101,367. Pulaski County, AR's commute, at 18.4 min, runs 25% below the 24.5 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.4 min on commute, so Pulaski County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pulaski County, AR has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, AR | 399,629 | $62,733 #4/5 | $187,117 #3/5 | 18.4 min #1/5 |
| Faulkner County, AR | 127,709 | $66,777 | $183,745 | 21.2 min |
| Saline County, AR | 127,467 | $79,874 | $192,380 | 26.1 min |
| Lonoke County, AR | 75,267 | $72,662 | $195,587 | 28.5 min |
| Conway County, AR | 21,055 | $55,358 | $14,762 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pulaski County, Arkansas.
How big is Pulaski County, Arkansas by population?
About 399,629 people live in Pulaski County, Arkansas, in 172,312 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 35.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Pulaski County, Arkansas?
Averaged over its land area, Pulaski County, Arkansas has 495 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Pulaski County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($187,117 against $62,733), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,080 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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