Arkansas

State

Add Comparison

2022 Population

3.02M

0.411% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/AJohn Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

N/ATom Cotton

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

38.4

0.261% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

16.2%

1.36% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$56,335

8.08% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$162,400

14.3% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

1.22M

1.38% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Arkansas had a population of 3.02M people with a median age of 38.4 and a median household income of $56,335. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Arkansas grew from 3.01M to 3.02M, a 0.411% increase and its median household income grew from $52,123 to $56,335, a 8.08% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Arkansas are White (Non-Hispanic) (69.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (15.1%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.64%), White (Hispanic) (2.97%), and Other (Hispanic) (2.74%).

7.77% of the households in Arkansas reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.8% of the residents in Arkansas are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Arkansas are University of Arkansas (7,274 degrees awarded in 2022), Arkansas State University (5,133 degrees), and Arkansas Tech University (3,923 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Arkansas was $162,400, and the homeownership rate was 66.2%.

Most people in Arkansas drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Arkansas was 2 cars per household.

Arkansas borders Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

Photo by Jack Gray

United States

Population & Diversity

Arkansas is home to a population of 3.02M people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2022, 4.8% of Arkansas residents were born outside of the country (145k people).

In 2022, there were 4.63 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.1M people) in Arkansas than any other race or ethnicity. There were 455k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 140k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Arkansas are Spanish (159,013 households), Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or Other Austronesian Languages (8,010 households), and Thai, Lao, or Other Tai-Kadai Languages (5,451 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

Sebastian, Crawford & Franklin Counties PUMA, AR
201,216
Pulaski County (Central)--Little Rock City PUMA, AR
200,403
Faulkner & Lonoke Counties PUMA, AR
198,630

In 2022 there were 2,953,067 residents in Arkansas.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Lauderdale, Colbert & Franklin Counties PUMA, AL (180,852 people), Limestone County PUMA, AL (107,704 people), and Morgan & Lawrence Counties--Decatur City PUMA, AL (156,100 people).

The following map shows all of the states in Arkansas colored by the resident population.

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

1,494,289

Women

50.6%

1,458,778

Men

49.4%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 2,953,067 inhabitants, with 49.4% men, and 50.6% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

96.8%

2022 Citizenship

96.7%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 96.8% of Arkansas residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Arkansas was 96.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Arkansas compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Arkansas

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.1M ± 4.33k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
455k ± 2.19k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
140k ± 4.71k

8.06%

Hispanic Population

243k people

8.06% of the people in Arkansas are hispanic (243k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Arkansas as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
62,018 ± 6,050 people
El Salvador
15,360 ± 3,035 people
India
9,985 ± 2,449 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 62,018 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 15,360 and India with 9,985.

Foreign-Born Population

4.8%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

145k people

4.93%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

148k people

As of 2022, 4.8% of Arkansas residents (145k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Arkansas was 4.93%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Arkansas compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
159,013 households (5.6%)
Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or Other Austronesian Languages
8,010 households (0.282%)
Thai, Lao, or Other Tai-Kadai Languages
5,451 households (0.192%)

7.77% of the households in Arkansas reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 21.7%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2022, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Arkansas was Spanish. 5.6% of the households in Arkansas reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
61,987 ± 2,069
Gulf War (2001-)
40,920 ± 1,641
Gulf War (1990s)
28,222 ± 1,184

Arkansas has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.51 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Arkansas employs 1.22M people. The largest industries in Arkansas are Elementary & secondary schools (81,626 people), Restaurants & Food Services (74,867 people), and Construction (74,835 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($163,097), Sugar & confectionery products ($148,688), and Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($126,754).

Males in Arkansas have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $50,335. The income inequality in Arkansas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.452, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

599,372

Women

48.4%

639,304

Men

51.6%

The workforce of Arkansas in 2020 was 1,238,676 people, with 48.4% woman, and 51.6% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Arkansas.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2022 there were 1,218,298 people working in Arkansas. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Lauderdale, Colbert & Franklin Counties PUMA, AL (76,240 people), Limestone County PUMA, AL (50,166 people), and Morgan & Lawrence Counties--Decatur City PUMA, AL (63,996 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Arkansas colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

1.22M

2022 Value

−1.38%

1 Year decline

± −1.38%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Arkansas declined at a rate of −1.38%, from 1.24M employees to 1.22M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Arkansas, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (38,583 people), Registered nurses (33,574 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (30,203 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Arkansas.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.22M

2022 Value

−1.38%

1 Year decline

± −1.38%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Arkansas declined at a rate of −1.38%, from 1.24M employees to 1.22M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Arkansas, are Elementary & secondary schools (81,626 people), Restaurants & Food Services (74,867 people), and Construction (74,835 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Arkansas, though some of these residents may live in Arkansas and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,320

Median earning men ± $500

$33,236

Median earning women ± $302

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,600), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,406), and Wholesale Trade ($55,466).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Wholesale Trade ($44,406), Public Administration ($42,290), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,834).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during N/A, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall N/A in employment by N/A%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

53,574
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
35,718
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
26,928
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Civics

The most partisan county was N/A with N/A% of the vote going to N/A running for the N/A Party.

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

N/A

Popular Vote for N/A

N/A% for the N/A

In the N/A presidential election, the most partisan county in Arkansas was N/A with N/A% of the vote going to N/A running for the N/A Party.

The following map shows the counties in Arkansas colored by their party leaning.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Arkansas

N/AJohn Boozman

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

N/ATom Cotton

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Arkansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Arkansas

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Arkansas have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Arkansas awarded 53,692 degrees. The student population of Arkansas in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 62,499 male students and 94,452 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Arkansas are White (35,994 and 68.9%), followed by Black or African American (7,930 and 15.2%), Hispanic or Latino (4,088 and 7.83%), and Two or More Races (2,064 and 3.95%).

The largest universities in Arkansas by number of degrees awarded are University of Arkansas (7,274 and 13.5%), Arkansas State University (5,133 and 9.56%), and Arkansas Tech University (3,923 and 7.31%).

The most popular majors in Arkansas are General Studies (4,003 and 7.46%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,869 and 7.21%), and Registered Nursing (2,619 and 4.88%).

The median tuition costs in Arkansas are $17,090 for private four year colleges, and $6,692 and $12,597 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Arkansas, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 31.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 156,951 (39.8% men and 60.2% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 156,951 students enrolled in Arkansas, 39.8% men and 60.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 100,102 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,289 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,077 degrees awarded
General Psychology
943 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Arkansas was Registered Nursing with 1,289 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Arkansas according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Arkansas
7,274 degrees awarded
Arkansas State University
5,133 degrees awarded
Arkansas Tech University
3,923 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Arkansas with 7,274 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 20,455 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Arkansas, which is 0.615 times less than the 33,237 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 35,994 degrees mean that there were 4.54 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 7,930 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($17,090) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,235) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, less-than 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 0.946% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.851% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Arkansas in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (793k), Some college (528k), and Secondary Education (350k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Arkansas was $162,400 in 2022, which is 0.576 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $142,100 to $162,400, a 14.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Arkansas is 66.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Arkansas have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Arkansas is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Arkansas is $56,335. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Arkansas was Benton County, AR with a value of $85,269, followed by Saline County, AR and Grant County, AR, with respective values of $73,236 and $68,598.

In 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Arkansas. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.911%.

Housing

Property

$162,400

Median Property Value 2022

±$1,008

$775,956

Median Property Taxes

±$6,588

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Arkansas the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Arkansas compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.2%

Homeownership

2022

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 66.2% of the housing units in Arkansas were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Arkansas compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Arkansas was Benton County, AR with a value of $85,269, followed by Saline County, AR and Grant County, AR, with respective values of $73,236 and $68,598.

The following map shows all of the counties in Arkansas colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$56,335

Median Household Income

± $422

1.17M

Number of Households

± 8,470

In 2022, the median household income of the 1.17M households in Arkansas grew to $56,335 from the previous year's value of $52,123.

The following chart displays the households in Arkansas distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Arkansas

0.45

2021 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2022, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.376% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arkansas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Arkansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (80.7%)
Carpooled (9.62%)
Worked At Home (6.75%)

In 2022, 80.7% of workers in Arkansas drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.62%) and those who worked at home (6.75%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Arkansas have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.82% of the workforce in Arkansas have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Arkansas compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Arkansas distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Arkansas have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Arkansas. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.911%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Arkansas (476k out of 2.93M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Arkansas is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21.8% of the children was living in poverty in Arkansas. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 6.3%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91.2% of the population of Arkansas has health coverage, with 40.3% on employee plans, 23.1% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 2.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see 1471 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1471 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2056 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 393 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,471 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Arkansas

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see an average of 1,471 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,471 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Arkansas in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.83%

Uninsured

40.3%

Employer Coverage

23.1%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

12.5%

Non-Group

2.16%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Arkansas grew by 1.52% from 8.7% to 8.83%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Arkansas changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 67 in Arkansas.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Arkansas and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Arkansas.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.2% in Arkansas.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Arkansas and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Arkansas.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 10.2% in Arkansas.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Arkansas and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Arkansas.

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