Rates of participation in school, neighborhood, civic, or community associations or sports or recreation organizations are one measure of community engagement. Participating in community groups is a way to form social connections with others and creates opportunities for collective action.

In 2017, 29% of Arkansas residents had participated in a group of some kind during the past year, up 3 percentage points from 2008 and similar to the level in 2013. The state group participation rate was slightly above the national level. Unlike the state, the national level dropped 8 points from 2013 to 2017,

Within the state, in 2013, the latest year for which data is available, the Fayetteville and Fort Smith metro areas both had rates below the state as a whole (21% and 24%), while the Little Rock metro area had a far higher group participation rate of 49%.

Data from 2017 onwards is from the Corporations for National and Community Service (CNCS) which sponsors the Volunteering and Civic Life Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey varies in important ways from prior supplements in that the volunteering and civic life supplements are now combined resulting in a longer survey which may make the data less comparable to prior years.

Data from prior to 2017 is based on the Civic Engagement Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). No county-level data is available. The frequency of CPS supplemental inquiries (such as the Civic Engagement Supplement) vary; some are conducted annually, others every other year or on a one-time basis.

Data is reported for years available. The sample is selected so that it is reliable at the national and state level, data for smaller geographic areas (such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas) is not as reliable.