Van Buren County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Van Buren 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Arkansas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,983 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.1 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.67% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.3 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,429 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Van Buren County declined by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,983 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Van Buren County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.0% of residents. That is 6.9 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,534 15.9% -5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,603 16.3% -4.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,565 22.3% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,994 25.0% +6.9 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 50.9% of the people living in Van Buren County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 49.1% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Van Buren County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Van Buren County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,521 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.92% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Van Buren County is about 17% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $94,761 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $721 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.9% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Van Buren County is about 10.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $721 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Van Buren County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.2 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.5 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,488 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,341 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 392 | 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 Van Buren County is 21 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
Van Buren County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.13 | 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
Van Buren County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.4% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 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).
Van Buren County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Van Buren County, AR is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 15,983 residents against a local median of 25,225. The measure that sets Van Buren County, AR apart most is median home price: $94,761, 44% above the local median of $65,891.
The counties themselves spread $168,983 on median home price, so Van Buren County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Van Buren County, AR has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, AR | 15,983 | $50,521 #4/4 | $94,761 #2/4 | 21.2 min #3/4 |
| Conway County, AR | 21,055 | $55,358 | $14,762 | 22.9 min |
| Faulkner County, AR | 127,709 | $66,777 | $183,745 | 21.2 min |
| Cleburne County, AR | 25,225 | $56,072 | $65,891 | 17.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Van Buren County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Van Buren County, Arkansas?
About 15,983 people live in Van Buren County, Arkansas, in 7,429 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 48.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Van Buren County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Van Buren County, Arkansas has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Van Buren County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($94,761 against $50,521), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $721 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Van Buren County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Van Buren County, Arkansas is only 3.8%, 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 Van Buren County, Arkansas?
15.9% of adults in Van Buren 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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