Families
People Living in Poverty
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
People Living in Poverty
2018-22
Arkansas County17%
Ashley County23%
Baxter County14%
Benton County8%
Boone County13%
Bowie County, Texas17%
Bradley County15%
Calhoun County12%**
Carroll County15%
Chicot County27%
Clark County20%
Clay County19%
Cleburne County14%
Cleveland County14%**
Columbia County23%
Conway County21%
Craighead County19%
Crawford County18%
Crittenden County20%
Cross County20%
Dallas County12%****
Desha County27%
Drew County21%
Faulkner County16%
Franklin County20%
Fulton County15%
Garland County17%
Grant County14%**
Greene County18%
Hempstead County23%
Hot Spring County20%
Howard County18%**
Independence County19%
Izard County20%
Jackson County20%
Jefferson County20%
Johnson County21%
Lafayette County22%
Lawrence County18%
Lee County28%
Lincoln County18%**
Little River County12%**
Logan County15%
Lonoke County12%
Madison County16%
Marion County18%
Miller County21%
Mississippi County22%
Monroe County24%**
Montgomery County18%
Nevada County28%
Newton County11%**
Ouachita County19%
Perry County15%**
Phillips County30%
Pike County17%
Poinsett County21%
Polk County18%
Pope County18%
Prairie County10%**
Pulaski County17%
Randolph County19%
Saline County10%
Scott County17%**
Searcy County27%
Sebastian County17%
Sevier County20%**
Sharp County16%
St. Francis County28%
Stone County21%
Union County19%
Van Buren County19%
Washington County15%
White County16%
Woodruff County19%**
Yell County12%

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
2018-22
Arkansas County2,816
Ashley County4,390
Baxter County5,587
Benton County22,289
Boone County4,869
Bowie County, Texas15,117
Bradley County1,570
Calhoun County574**
Carroll County4,329
Chicot County2,618
Clark County3,812
Clay County2,789
Cleburne County3,469
Cleveland County1,013**
Columbia County4,675
Conway County4,313
Craighead County20,511
Crawford County10,620
Crittenden County9,305
Cross County3,357
Dallas County723****
Desha County3,044
Drew County3,513
Faulkner County18,478
Franklin County3,412
Fulton County1,841
Garland County16,604
Grant County2,413**
Greene County7,892
Hempstead County4,536
Hot Spring County6,093
Howard County2,301**
Independence County7,124
Izard County2,503
Jackson County2,957
Jefferson County11,818
Johnson County5,327
Lafayette County1,328
Lawrence County2,791
Lee County1,964
Lincoln County1,481**
Little River County1,394**
Logan County3,036
Lonoke County8,680
Madison County2,731
Marion County2,970
Miller County8,496
Mississippi County8,599
Monroe County1,592**
Montgomery County1,527
Nevada County2,248
Newton County814**
Ouachita County4,230
Perry County1,526**
Phillips County4,946
Pike County1,745
Poinsett County4,716
Polk County3,393
Pope County10,728
Prairie County797**
Pulaski County64,768
Randolph County3,519
Saline County11,688
Scott County1,677**
Searcy County2,054
Sebastian County20,818
Sevier County3,144**
Sharp County2,725
St. Francis County5,659
Stone County2,603
Union County7,135
Van Buren County2,971
Washington County36,258
White County11,867
Woodruff County1,146**
Yell County2,480

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
47

OUT OF 51
2018-22

STATE TREND

Maintaining


16%

2018-22
1% = 29,314
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 2022, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $29,678.

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 2018-22, 16% of people were living in poverty, down 3 percentage points since 2008-12 and 3 points above the national rate. This makes Arkansas 47th in the nation on this indicator, including the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Males were slightly less likely to be in poverty, at 14%, compared to 18% 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 21% of Hispanic residents in poverty, compared to 13% of white residents. Among Arkansas counties, rates ranged from a low of 8% in Benton to 30% 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. Lack of education, especially the absence of a high school diploma, increases the likelihood of poverty, and 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
20002008-122013-172018-22
Arkansas16%19%18%16%
United States12%15%15%13%

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 AmericanHispanic or LatinoNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas20%12%29%21%32%**22%17%13%
Benton County16%******4%******7%****13%44%**13%****7%**8%
Craighead County35%******19%******43%27%****0%******39%******18%****13%
Crittenden County0%******4%******28%21%******0%******29%******16%****11%
Faulkner County11%******19%******24%**27%**0%******22%******17%**14%
Jefferson County43%******5%******23%22%******0%******33%******32%******14%
Miller County32%******81%******33%11%******0%******22%******18%******16%**
Mississippi County0%******41%******33%30%****100%******13%******29%****15%
Phillips County75%******27%******41%12%******0%******9%******23%******12%**
Pulaski County36%******9%******27%22%33%******20%**18%**9%
Saline County4%******0%******9%****16%****0%******6%******19%****9%
Sebastian County15%******19%**29%**29%0%******32%22%**13%
St. Francis County28%******0%******34%39%******100%******2%******58%******18%**
Union County15%******12%******28%40%****0%******27%******25%******14%

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 AmericanHispanic or LatinoNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas3,2935,535125,65849,9253,492**19,36834,644283,739
Benton County497******520******376****6,313835**1,329****3,423**15,309
Craighead County115******247******7,4661,619****0******1,119******825****10,739
Crittenden County0******16******6,561293******0******32******538****2,158
Faulkner County39******238******3,247**1,405**0******504******885**13,565
Jefferson County22******27******7,809299******0******246******548******3,166
Miller County112******120******3,444174******0******242******184******4,394**
Mississippi County0******67******4,546547****20******61******514****3,391
Phillips County3******25******4,17243******0******4******76******666**
Pulaski County488******781******38,7915,46943******2,163**3,149**19,353
Saline County11******0******945****1,058****0******134******909****9,689
Sebastian County189******1,131**2,167**5,4780******3,8582,387**11,086
St. Francis County11******0******3,692376******62******10******453******1,431**
Union County8******36******3,465633****0******72******269******3,285

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
Arkansas18%14%

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
Arkansas267,135208,594

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
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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