Arkansas

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Population

3M

0.536% growth

Median Age

38.1


Median Household Income

$45,869

3.46% growth

Poverty Rate

18.1%


Number of Employees

1.23M

0.227% growth

Median Property Value

$128,500

4.22% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Arkansas had a population of 3M people with a median age of 38.1 and a median household income of $45,869. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Arkansas grew from 2.99M to 3M, a 0.536% increase and its median household income grew from $44,334 to $45,869, a 3.46% increase.

The population of Arkansas is 72.3% White Alone, 15.2% Black or African American Alone, and 7.45% Hispanic or Latino. 7.25% of the people in Arkansas speak a non-English language, and 96.8% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Arkansas are University of Arkansas (6,431 degrees awarded in 2016), Arkansas State University-Main Campus (4,039 degrees), and Arkansas Tech University (2,940 degrees).

The median property value in Arkansas is $128,500, and the homeownership rate is 65.3%. Most people in Arkansas commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 20.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Arkansas is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Jack Gray

United States

Economy

The economy of Arkansas employs 1.23M people. The largest industries in Arkansas are Elementary & secondary schools (87,589 people), Construction (75,077 people), and Hospitals (73,946 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of companies & enterprises ($105,150), Labor unions ($104,621), and Natural gas distribution ($99,622).

Median household income in Arkansas is $45,869. Males in Arkansas have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $39,890. The income inequality in Arkansas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.44, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$45,869

2017 value

± $760

3.46%

1 Year Growth

± 2.57%

Households in Arkansas have a median annual income of $45,869, which is less than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $44,334 in 2016, which represents a 3.46% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Arkansas compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$54,131

Average Male Salary

± $1,759

$39,890

Average Female Salary

± $1,164

In 2017, full-time male employees in Arkansas made 1.36 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Arkansas by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

    $53,180 ± $44,930

  2. Asian

    $48,380 ± $7,967

  3. White

    $44,084 ± $1,161

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Arkansas workers was American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races. These workers were paid 1.1 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Arkansas by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.44

2017 Wage GINI

0.454

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.44 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 3.24% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Benton County, AR

  2. Saline County, AR

  3. Pulaski County, AR

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Arkansas was Benton County, AR with a value of $63,746, followed by Saline County, AR and Pulaski County, AR, with respective values of $59,633 and $52,450.

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

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

18.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Arkansas (524k out of 2.89M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    332,449 ± 4,245

  2. Black

    139,406 ± 2,789

  3. Hispanic

    61,991 ± 1,870

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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.23M

2017 Value

0.227%

1 Year growth

± 0.227%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Arkansas grew at a rate of 0.227%, from 1.23M employees to 1.23M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Arkansas, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (37,436 people), Registered nurses (33,755 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (33,182 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Arkansas.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Arkansas, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (37,436 people), Registered nurses (33,755 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (33,182 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Arkansas has an unusually high number of residents working as Logging workers (6.94 times higher than expected), New accounts clerks (6.88 times), and Boilermakers (6.73 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Arkansas, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($184,523), Chief executives & legislators ($169,724), and Dentists ($165,203).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.23M

2017 Value

0.227%

1 Year growth

± 0.227%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Arkansas grew at a rate of 0.227%, from 1.23M employees to 1.23M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Arkansas, are Elementary & secondary schools (87,589 people), Construction (75,077 people), and Hospitals (73,946 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.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Arkansas, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (87,589 people), Construction (75,077 people), and Hospitals (73,946 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Arkansas has an unusually high number of Animal slaughtering & processing (8.8 times higher than expected), Logging (8.41 times), and Military Reserves or National Guard (7.83 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Arkansas, by average salary, are Management of companies & enterprises ($105,150), Labor unions ($104,621), and Natural gas distribution ($99,622).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Coal-n.e.c.

    $24.5B

  2. Meat/seafood

    $17.5B

  3. Mixed freight

    $8.54B

In 2015, the top outbound Arkansas product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $24.5B, followed by Meat/seafood with $17.5B and Mixed freight and $8.54B.

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Arkansas products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$150B

2015 Value

$228B

Projected 2045 Value

52.4% growth

In 2015, total outbound Arkansas trade was $150B. This is expected to increase 52.4% to $228B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Arkansas trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Mississippi

    $12.4B

  2. Texas

    $11.4B

  3. Missouri

    $7.98B

In 2015, the top outbound Arkansas domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Mississippi with $12.4B, followed by Texas with $11.4B and Missouri and $7.98B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Arkansas shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

92.1% of the population of Arkansas has health coverage, with 40.2% on employee plans, 23.3% on Medicaid, 12.2% on Medicare, 14.2% on non-group plans, and 2.32% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Arkansas was $7,408 in 2014. This is a 6.91% increase from the previous year ($6,929).

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see 1522 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.588% decrease from the previous year (1531 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2218 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 488 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Jefferson County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.2%). Additionally, St. Francis County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (44.5%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,522 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see an average of 1,522 patients per year. This represents a 0.588% decrease from the previous year (1,531 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 neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$7,408

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$3,906

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,108

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,479

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Arkansas (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.91%, from $6,929 to $7,408.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

7.86%

Uninsured

40.2%

Employer Coverage

23.3%

Medicaid

12.2%

Medicare

14.2%

Non-Group

2.32%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Arkansas declined by 0.498% from 7.9% to 7.86%.

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.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Jefferson County

    17.2% prevalence

  2. Monroe County

    17.1% prevalence

  3. St. Francis County

    16.6% prevalence

Jefferson County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Arkansas, at 17.2%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Arkansas by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Arkansas is home to a population of 3M people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2017, 4.7% of Arkansas residents were born outside of the country.

The ethnic composition of the population of Arkansas is composed of 2.17M White Alone residents (72.3%), 456k Black or African American Alone residents (15.2%), 224k Hispanic or Latino residents (7.45%), 72.4k Two or More Races residents (2.41%), 46.6k Asian Alone residents (1.55%), 16.9k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.563%), 8.22k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.274%), and 7.63k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.254%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Arkansas are Spanish or Spanish Creole (145,118 speakers), Chinese (6,438 speakers), and Other Pacific Island Languages (5,327 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

40

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.9

In 2017, the median age of all people in Arkansas was 38.1. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 38, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 40. But people in Arkansas are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Arkansas residents was 38.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

4.7%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

4.65%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

As of 2017, 4.7% of Arkansas residents were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Arkansas was 4.65%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    56,814 ± 5,796 people

  2. El Salvador

    14,438 ± 2,943 people

  3. India

    9,304 ± 2,364 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 56,814 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 14,438 and India with 9,304.

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Citizenship

96.8%

2017 Citizenship

96.8%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 96.8% of Arkansas residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Arkansas was 96.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    2.17M ± 2.42k

  2. Black or African American Alone

    456k ± 5.11k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    224k ± 10.1k

In 2017, there were 4.77 times more White Alone residents (2.17M people) in Arkansas than any other race or ethnicity. There were 456k Black or African American Alone and 224k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Arkansas as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish or Spanish Creole

    145,118 speakers (5.2%)

  2. Chinese

    6,438 speakers (0.231%)

  3. Other Pacific Island Languages

    5,327 speakers (0.191%)

7.25% of Arkansas citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.5%. In 2015, the most common non-English language spoken in Arkansas was Spanish or Spanish Creole. 5.2% of the overall population of Arkansas are native Spanish or Spanish Creole speakers. 0.231% speak Chinese and 0.191% speak Spanish or Spanish Creole, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    70,682 ± 3,631

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    41,565 ± 3,775

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    32,685 ± 3,307

Arkansas has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.7 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Arkansas awarded 45,852 degrees. The student population of Arkansas is skewed towards women, with 70,902 male students and 99,038 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Arkansas are White (32,411 and 73%), followed by Black or African American (7,271 and 16.4%), Hispanic or Latino (2,188 and 4.93%), and Two or More Races (1,102 and 2.48%).

The largest universities in Arkansas by number of degrees awarded are University of Arkansas (6,431 and 14%), Arkansas State University-Main Campus (4,039 and 8.81%), and Arkansas Tech University (2,940 and 6.41%).

The most popular majors in Arkansas are Liberal Arts & Sciences (4,198 and 9.16%), Registered Nursing (2,427 and 5.29%), and General Studies (2,143 and 4.67%).

The median tuition costs in Arkansas are $17,070 for private four year colleges, and $6,223 and $12,120 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    1,157 degrees awarded

  2. General Psychology

    847 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    818 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Arkansas was Registered Nursing with 1,157 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Arkansas

    6,431 degrees awarded

  2. Arkansas State University-Main Campus

    4,039 degrees awarded

  3. Arkansas Tech University

    2,940 degrees awarded

$6,223

Median In-State Public

$17,070

Median Private

In 2016, the Arkansas institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Arkansas with 6,431 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

18,175

Degrees Awarded to Men

27,677

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 18,175 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Arkansas, which is 0.657 times less than the 27,677 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Arkansas by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    32,411 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    7,271 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2,188 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Arkansas were to White students. These 32,411 degrees mean that there were 4.46 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 7,271 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Arkansas was $128,500 in 2017, which is 0.591 times smaller than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $123,300 to $128,500, a 4.22% increase. The homeownership rate in Arkansas is 65.3%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Arkansas have an average commute time of 20.8 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Arkansas is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

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

$45,869

Median Household Income

± $760

1.15M

Number of Households

± 16,843

In 2017, the median household income of the 1.15M households in Arkansas grew to $45,869 from the previous year's value of $44,334.

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.

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Housing

Property Value

$128,500

2017 Median

± $1,841

$123,300

2016 Median

± $1,740

In 2017, the median property value in Arkansas grew to to $128,500 from the previous year's value of $123,300.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Arkansas compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Arkansas the largest share of households have a property value in the $100k - $125k range.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Arkansas 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.

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Rent vs Own

65.3%

2017 Homeownership

64.6%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 65.3% of the housing units in Arkansas were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.6%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Arkansas compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

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, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

20.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Arkansas have a shorter commute time (20.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 1.4% 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    83.3%

  2. Carpooled

    9.86%

  3. Worked At Home

    3.68%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Arkansas was Drove Alone, followed by those who Carpooled and those who Worked At Home.

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