2015-19 | ||
---|---|---|
Arkansas County | 17% | |
Ashley County | 17% | |
Baxter County | 13% | |
Benton County | 9% | |
Boone County | 15% | |
Bowie County, Texas | 17% | |
Bradley County | 21% | |
Calhoun County | 13%* | * |
Carroll County | 15% | |
Chicot County | 29% | |
Clark County | 20% | |
Clay County | 21% | |
Cleburne County | 14% | |
Cleveland County | 18%* | * |
Columbia County | 25% | |
Conway County | 18% | |
Craighead County | 17% | |
Crawford County | 17% | |
Crittenden County | 22% | |
Cross County | 15% | |
Dallas County | 15%* | * |
Desha County | 29% | |
Drew County | 19% | |
Faulkner County | 17% | |
Franklin County | 23%* | * |
Fulton County | 21% | |
Garland County | 19% | |
Grant County | 15% | |
Greene County | 16% | |
Hempstead County | 23% | |
Hot Spring County | 18% | |
Howard County | 19% | |
Independence County | 17% | |
Izard County | 15%* | * |
Jackson County | 24% | |
Jefferson County | 22% | |
Johnson County | 23% | |
Lafayette County | 26% | |
Lawrence County | 16% | |
Lee County | 22%* | * |
Lincoln County | 20%* | * |
Little River County | 16%* | * |
Logan County | 19% | |
Lonoke County | 12% | |
Madison County | 17% | |
Marion County | 18% | |
Miller County | 20% | |
Mississippi County | 24% | |
Monroe County | 27% | |
Montgomery County | 21% | |
Nevada County | 23%* | * |
Newton County | 16%* | * |
Ouachita County | 23% | |
Perry County | 18%* | * |
Phillips County | 35% | |
Pike County | 15%* | * |
Poinsett County | 21% | |
Polk County | 24% | |
Pope County | 19% | |
Prairie County | 15% | |
Pulaski County | 17% | |
Randolph County | 19% | |
Saline County | 9% | |
Scott County | 19% | |
Searcy County | 22%* | * |
Sebastian County | 18% | |
Sevier County | 21% | |
Sharp County | 22% | |
St. Francis County | 25% | |
Stone County | 20%* | * |
Union County | 19% | |
Van Buren County | 19% | |
Washington County | 16% | |
White County | 16% | |
Woodruff County | 25% | |
Yell County | 17% |
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%.
2015-19 | ||
---|---|---|
Arkansas County | 3,041 | |
Ashley County | 3,347 | |
Baxter County | 5,360 | |
Benton County | 24,767 | |
Boone County | 5,369 | |
Bowie County, Texas | 14,534 | |
Bradley County | 2,211 | |
Calhoun County | 680* | * |
Carroll County | 4,096 | |
Chicot County | 2,872 | |
Clark County | 4,017 | |
Clay County | 3,106 | |
Cleburne County | 3,452 | |
Cleveland County | 1,475* | * |
Columbia County | 5,482 | |
Conway County | 3,649 | |
Craighead County | 17,130 | |
Crawford County | 10,609 | |
Crittenden County | 10,655 | |
Cross County | 2,555 | |
Dallas County | 955* | * |
Desha County | 3,363 | |
Drew County | 3,268 | |
Faulkner County | 19,778 | |
Franklin County | 4,005* | * |
Fulton County | 2,491 | |
Garland County | 18,032 | |
Grant County | 2,596 | |
Greene County | 7,246 | |
Hempstead County | 4,892 | |
Hot Spring County | 5,658 | |
Howard County | 2,539 | |
Independence County | 6,049 | |
Izard County | 1,906* | * |
Jackson County | 3,489 | |
Jefferson County | 13,960 | |
Johnson County | 5,833 | |
Lafayette County | 1,721 | |
Lawrence County | 2,497 | |
Lee County | 1,668* | * |
Lincoln County | 1,667* | * |
Little River County | 1,952* | * |
Logan County | 3,995 | |
Lonoke County | 8,775 | |
Madison County | 2,798 | |
Marion County | 2,960 | |
Miller County | 8,456 | |
Mississippi County | 10,017 | |
Monroe County | 1,887 | |
Montgomery County | 1,875 | |
Nevada County | 1,883* | * |
Newton County | 1,226* | * |
Ouachita County | 5,428 | |
Perry County | 1,830* | * |
Phillips County | 6,362 | |
Pike County | 1,627* | * |
Poinsett County | 5,000 | |
Polk County | 4,747 | |
Pope County | 11,349 | |
Prairie County | 1,180 | |
Pulaski County | 64,988 | |
Randolph County | 3,241 | |
Saline County | 10,815 | |
Scott County | 1,967 | |
Searcy County | 1,702* | * |
Sebastian County | 23,271 | |
Sevier County | 3,590 | |
Sharp County | 3,743 | |
St. Francis County | 5,585 | |
Stone County | 2,449* | * |
Union County | 7,444 | |
Van Buren County | 3,041 | |
Washington County | 36,730 | |
White County | 11,742 | |
Woodruff County | 1,596 | |
Yell County | 3,523 |
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%.
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.
2000 | 2010-14 | 2015-19 | |
---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 16% | 19% | 17% |
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%.
2000 | 2010-14 | 2015-19 | |
---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 411,777 | 549,303 | 496,260 |
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%.
American Indian and Native Alaskan | Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | Some Other Race | Two or More Races | White | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 23% | 12% | 29% | 26% | 27%* | * | 28% | 23% | 14% | |||||||
Benton County | 21%** | ** | 6%** | ** | 11%** | ** | 15% | 23%*** | *** | 6%*** | *** | 12%* | * | 9% | ||
Craighead County | 56%*** | *** | 29%*** | *** | 32% | 29%* | * | 0%*** | *** | 33%*** | *** | 30%** | ** | 13% | ||
Crittenden County | 2%*** | *** | 10%*** | *** | 31% | 41%* | * | 0%*** | *** | 78%*** | *** | 26%** | ** | 12% | ||
Faulkner County | 10%*** | *** | 25%** | ** | 24% | 40%* | * | 92%*** | *** | 44%** | ** | 23%* | * | 15% | ||
Jefferson County | 20%*** | *** | 4%*** | *** | 28% | 33%** | ** | 0%*** | *** | 44%*** | *** | 33%*** | *** | 14% | ||
Miller County | 49%*** | *** | 0%*** | *** | 34% | 42%** | ** | 76%*** | *** | 45%*** | *** | 35%*** | *** | 13%* | * | |
Mississippi County | 0%*** | *** | 5%*** | *** | 34% | 38%** | ** | 61%*** | *** | 30%*** | *** | 18%*** | *** | 19% | ||
Phillips County | 100%*** | *** | 0%*** | *** | 47% | 8%*** | *** | 0%*** | *** | 15%*** | *** | 40%*** | *** | 12%** | ** | |
Pulaski County | 37%*** | *** | 10%** | ** | 26% | 26% | 0%*** | *** | 31%** | ** | 19%* | * | 11% | |||
Saline County | 1%*** | *** | 2%*** | *** | 11%** | ** | 17%** | ** | 0%*** | *** | 4%*** | *** | 21%** | ** | 9% | |
Sebastian County | 26%** | ** | 12%** | ** | 34%* | * | 30% | 0%*** | *** | 28%* | * | 21%* | * | 16% | ||
St. Francis County | 19%*** | *** | 0%*** | *** | 32% | 2%*** | *** | 100%*** | *** | 4%*** | *** | 2%*** | *** | 17%* | * | |
Union County | 32%*** | *** | 0%*** | *** | 32%* | * | 33%** | ** | 0%*** | *** | 8%*** | *** | 30%*** | *** | 12% |
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.
American Indian and Native Alaskan | Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | Some Other Race | Two or More Races | White | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 4,468 | 5,395 | 128,197 | 56,288 | 2,321* | * | 22,637 | 18,315 | 314,927 | |||||||
Benton County | 784** | ** | 611** | ** | 493** | ** | 6,501 | 374*** | *** | 309*** | *** | 938* | * | 21,258 | ||
Craighead County | 257*** | *** | 406*** | *** | 4,760 | 1,520* | * | 0*** | *** | 750*** | *** | 766** | ** | 10,191 | ||
Crittenden County | 2*** | *** | 33*** | *** | 7,071 | 505* | * | 0*** | *** | 153*** | *** | 901** | ** | 2,495 | ||
Faulkner County | 50*** | *** | 384** | ** | 3,082 | 1,916* | * | 141*** | *** | 1,040** | ** | 733* | * | 14,348 | ||
Jefferson County | 28*** | *** | 27*** | *** | 9,900 | 417** | ** | 0*** | *** | 339*** | *** | 243*** | *** | 3,423 | ||
Miller County | 244*** | *** | 0*** | *** | 3,591 | 585** | ** | 13*** | *** | 345*** | *** | 298*** | *** | 3,965* | * | |
Mississippi County | 0*** | *** | 12*** | *** | 4,668 | 654** | ** | 20*** | *** | 253*** | *** | 247*** | *** | 4,817 | ||
Phillips County | 7*** | *** | 0*** | *** | 5,514 | 28*** | *** | 0*** | *** | 6*** | *** | 36*** | *** | 799** | ** | |
Pulaski County | 426*** | *** | 841** | ** | 36,717 | 6,234 | 0*** | *** | 2,266** | ** | 1,996* | * | 22,742 | |||
Saline County | 5*** | *** | 35*** | *** | 893** | ** | 973** | ** | 0*** | *** | 28*** | *** | 495** | ** | 9,359 | |
Sebastian County | 367** | ** | 662** | ** | 2,871* | * | 5,322 | 0*** | *** | 3,393* | * | 1,239* | * | 14,739 | ||
St. Francis County | 8*** | *** | 0*** | *** | 3,906 | 22*** | *** | 37*** | *** | 22*** | *** | 8*** | *** | 1,604* | * | |
Union County | 110*** | *** | 0*** | *** | 4,131* | * | 518** | ** | 0*** | *** | 25*** | *** | 135*** | *** | 3,043 |
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.
Female | Male | |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | 19% | 15% |
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%.
Female | Male | |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | 276,758 | 219,502 |
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 |
---|---|
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 |