Families
People Living in Poverty
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
People Living in Poverty
2015-19
Arkansas County17%
Ashley County17%
Baxter County13%
Benton County9%
Boone County15%
Bowie County, Texas17%
Bradley County21%
Calhoun County13%**
Carroll County15%
Chicot County29%
Clark County20%
Clay County21%
Cleburne County14%
Cleveland County18%**
Columbia County25%
Conway County18%
Craighead County17%
Crawford County17%
Crittenden County22%
Cross County15%
Dallas County15%**
Desha County29%
Drew County19%
Faulkner County17%
Franklin County23%**
Fulton County21%
Garland County19%
Grant County15%
Greene County16%
Hempstead County23%
Hot Spring County18%
Howard County19%
Independence County17%
Izard County15%**
Jackson County24%
Jefferson County22%
Johnson County23%
Lafayette County26%
Lawrence County16%
Lee County22%**
Lincoln County20%**
Little River County16%**
Logan County19%
Lonoke County12%
Madison County17%
Marion County18%
Miller County20%
Mississippi County24%
Monroe County27%
Montgomery County21%
Nevada County23%**
Newton County16%**
Ouachita County23%
Perry County18%**
Phillips County35%
Pike County15%**
Poinsett County21%
Polk County24%
Pope County19%
Prairie County15%
Pulaski County17%
Randolph County19%
Saline County9%
Scott County19%
Searcy County22%**
Sebastian County18%
Sevier County21%
Sharp County22%
St. Francis County25%
Stone County20%**
Union County19%
Van Buren County19%
Washington County16%
White County16%
Woodruff County25%
Yell County17%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of People Living in Poverty
2015-19
Arkansas County3,041
Ashley County3,347
Baxter County5,360
Benton County24,767
Boone County5,369
Bowie County, Texas14,534
Bradley County2,211
Calhoun County680**
Carroll County4,096
Chicot County2,872
Clark County4,017
Clay County3,106
Cleburne County3,452
Cleveland County1,475**
Columbia County5,482
Conway County3,649
Craighead County17,130
Crawford County10,609
Crittenden County10,655
Cross County2,555
Dallas County955**
Desha County3,363
Drew County3,268
Faulkner County19,778
Franklin County4,005**
Fulton County2,491
Garland County18,032
Grant County2,596
Greene County7,246
Hempstead County4,892
Hot Spring County5,658
Howard County2,539
Independence County6,049
Izard County1,906**
Jackson County3,489
Jefferson County13,960
Johnson County5,833
Lafayette County1,721
Lawrence County2,497
Lee County1,668**
Lincoln County1,667**
Little River County1,952**
Logan County3,995
Lonoke County8,775
Madison County2,798
Marion County2,960
Miller County8,456
Mississippi County10,017
Monroe County1,887
Montgomery County1,875
Nevada County1,883**
Newton County1,226**
Ouachita County5,428
Perry County1,830**
Phillips County6,362
Pike County1,627**
Poinsett County5,000
Polk County4,747
Pope County11,349
Prairie County1,180
Pulaski County64,988
Randolph County3,241
Saline County10,815
Scott County1,967
Searcy County1,702**
Sebastian County23,271
Sevier County3,590
Sharp County3,743
St. Francis County5,585
Stone County2,449**
Union County7,444
Van Buren County3,041
Washington County36,730
White County11,742
Woodruff County1,596
Yell County3,523

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.



NATIONAL RANKING
46

OUT OF 51
2015-19

STATE TREND

Increasing


17%

2015-19
1% = 29,110
Individuals

What does this measure?

The percentage of residents with incomes below the federal poverty level. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2019, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $25,926.

Why is this important?

The percentage of people living in or near poverty is a measure of the overall economic health of a region. It also indicates the level of need for social and government supports.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2015-19, 17% of people were living in poverty, up 1 percentage point since 2000 and 4 points above the national rate. This makes Arkansas 46th in the nation on this indicator, including the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Males were slightly less likely to be in poverty, at 15%, compared to 19% for females. Some minority groups were about twice as likely as whites to be in poverty, with 29% of black or African American Arkansans and 26% of Hispanic residents in poverty, compared to 14% of white residents. Among Arkansas counties, rates ranged from a low of 9% in Saline to 35% in Phillips.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

Racial and ethnic disparities in poverty rates are the result of historic and current policies and practices that disadvantaged people of color. Research has connected slavery and the inability of Black Americans even after emancipation to fully participate in economic life to the wealth and income gaps still present today. In addition, these differences are attributed to the complex interplay of conditions including gender, occupation, family structure, education, employment status, wages, incarceration, unemployment and discrimination. African American workers across industries tend to earn lower wages than their white and Asian American peers. While education, especially the absence of a high school diploma, increases the likelihood of poverty, education credentials do not eliminate racial disparities. African Americans experience unemployment at twice the rate of whites regardless of education level. Also, the disproportionate and systemic incarceration of Black and Latino males decreases job prospects and increases the likelihood of poverty.

Notes about the data

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with 3 asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator is expected to be released annually in December.




Source: U.S. Census Bureau


People Living in Poverty
20002010-142015-19
Arkansas16%19%17%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of People Living in Poverty
20002010-142015-19
Arkansas411,777549,303496,260

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.






Source: U.S. Census Bureau


People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas23%12%29%26%27%**28%23%14%
Benton County21%****6%****11%****15%23%******6%******12%**9%
Craighead County56%******29%******32%29%**0%******33%******30%****13%
Crittenden County2%******10%******31%41%**0%******78%******26%****12%
Faulkner County10%******25%****24%40%**92%******44%****23%**15%
Jefferson County20%******4%******28%33%****0%******44%******33%******14%
Miller County49%******0%******34%42%****76%******45%******35%******13%**
Mississippi County0%******5%******34%38%****61%******30%******18%******19%
Phillips County100%******0%******47%8%******0%******15%******40%******12%****
Pulaski County37%******10%****26%26%0%******31%****19%**11%
Saline County1%******2%******11%****17%****0%******4%******21%****9%
Sebastian County26%****12%****34%**30%0%******28%**21%**16%
St. Francis County19%******0%******32%2%******100%******4%******2%******17%**
Union County32%******0%******32%**33%****0%******8%******30%******12%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Data not shown where sample sizes were too small. Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number of People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas4,4685,395128,19756,2882,321**22,63718,315314,927
Benton County784****611****493****6,501374******309******938**21,258
Craighead County257******406******4,7601,520**0******750******766****10,191
Crittenden County2******33******7,071505**0******153******901****2,495
Faulkner County50******384****3,0821,916**141******1,040****733**14,348
Jefferson County28******27******9,900417****0******339******243******3,423
Miller County244******0******3,591585****13******345******298******3,965**
Mississippi County0******12******4,668654****20******253******247******4,817
Phillips County7******0******5,51428******0******6******36******799****
Pulaski County426******841****36,7176,2340******2,266****1,996**22,742
Saline County5******35******893****973****0******28******495****9,359
Sebastian County367****662****2,871**5,3220******3,393**1,239**14,739
St. Francis County8******0******3,90622******37******22******8******1,604**
Union County110******0******4,131**518****0******25******135******3,043

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Data not shown where sample sizes were too small. Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.





Source: U.S. Census Bureau


People Living in Poverty by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas19%15%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of People Living in Poverty by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas276,758219,502

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Access to Quality Seats for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Access to Quality Childcare Seats for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
Graduation Rate Not Applicable
Remediation Rate Not Applicable
Adults with a High School Degree Not Applicable
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Not Applicable
Adults Pursuing Further Education Not Applicable
Infant Mortality Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care Not Applicable
Overweight or Obese Students Not Applicable
Student Drug Usage Not Applicable
Overweight or Obese Adults Not Applicable
Physically Inactive Adults Not Applicable
Smoking Rate Not Applicable
Flouridated Water Not Applicable
Insurance Coverage Rates Not Applicable
Oral Health Not Applicable
Life Expectancy Not Applicable
Routine Check-ups Not Applicable
Births to Teens Not Applicable
Female-headed Households Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Elderly Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Median Household Income Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate Not Applicable
Child Abuse and Neglect Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services Not Applicable
Food Insecurity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate Not Applicable
Homelessness Not Applicable
Change in Total Jobs Not Applicable
Housing Affordability - Owning Not Applicable
Housing Affordability - Renting Not Applicable
Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Not Applicable
Charitable Giving Not Applicable
Volunteering Not Applicable
Group Participation Not Applicable
Connection to Neighbors Not Applicable
Local Voting Not Applicable
Change in Population Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Adults with a High School Degree Not Applicable
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Not Applicable
Female-headed Households Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Elderly Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Median Household Income Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


Loading...