Ashley County, AR

County

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2024 Population

18,429

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.8

0.234% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

22.1%

2.5% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$44,266

0.483% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$91,900

3.49% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

6,628

1.14% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Ashley County, AR reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.2% of the residents in Ashley County, AR are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Ashley County, AR are Credence Institute of Beauty (6 degrees awarded in 2017).

In 2024, the median property value in Ashley County, AR was $91,900, and the homeownership rate was 70.8%.

Most people in Ashley County, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Ashley County, AR was 2 cars per household.

Ashley County, AR borders Bradley County, AR, Chicot County, AR, Drew County, AR, Union County, AR, Morehouse Parish, LA, and Union Parish, LA.

United States Arkansas

Population & Diversity

Ashley County, AR is home to a population of 18.4k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.2% of Ashley County, AR residents were born outside of the country (406 people).

In 2024, there were 2.84 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (12.4k people) in Ashley County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.36k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 787 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Ashley County, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ashley County, AR was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ashley County, AR

White (Non-Hispanic)
12.4k ± 96
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
4.36k ± 185
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
787 ± 178

6.38%

Hispanic Population

1.18k people

6.38% of the people in Ashley County, AR are hispanic (1.18k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ashley County, AR as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Arkansas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
66,711 ± 6,271 people
El Salvador
16,390 ± 3,135 people
India
10,242 ± 2,480 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 66,711 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 16,390 and India with 10,242.

Foreign-Born Population

2.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

406 people

2.06%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

386 people

As of 2024, 2.2% of Ashley County, AR residents (406 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ashley County, AR was 2.06%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
233 ± 100
Gulf War (2001-)
163 ± 107
Gulf War (1990s)
78 ± 54

Ashley County, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.43 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ashley County, AR.

Economy

The economy of Ashley County, AR employs 6.63k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ashley County, AR were Manufacturing (1,017 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (972 people), and Educational Services (746 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($61,120), Wholesale Trade ($57,344), and Utilities ($42,561).

Employment

Occupations

6.63k

2024 Value

± 582

1.14%

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ashley County, AR grew at a rate of 1.14%, from 6.55k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ashley County, AR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (900 people), Production Occupations (774 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (558 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ashley County, AR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

6.63k

2024 Value

± 582

1.14%

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ashley County, AR grew at a rate of 1.14%, from 6.55k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ashley County, AR, are Manufacturing (1,017 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (972 people), and Educational Services (746 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ashley County, AR, though some of these residents may live in Ashley County, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,643

Median earning men ± $3,878

$27,998

Median earning women ± $3,237

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($63,646), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($56,917), and Public Administration ($47,760).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($48,750), Manufacturing ($41,750), and Information ($38,750).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

Y-Axis

2.24%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.35M people employed in Arkansas. This represents a 2.24% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.69%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Arkansas.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

31
Other Services (except Public Administration)
30
Retail Trade
20
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$85.4k
Manufacturing
$39.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$23.4k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Ashley County, AR. Showing the available data for Arkansas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.6%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Arkansas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Arkansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

John Boozman

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tom Cotton

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Arkansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2017, universities in Ashley County, AR awarded 6 degrees. The student population of Ashley County, AR in 2016 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 7 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ashley County, AR are White (5 and 83.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (1 and 16.7%).

The largest universities in Ashley County, AR by number of degrees awarded are Credence Institute of Beauty (6 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Ashley County, AR are General Cosmetology (6 and 100%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (0 and 0%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2016 there were 8 students enrolled in Ashley County, AR, 12.5% men and 87.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7 records, of which 85.7% were women and 14.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

6 degrees awarded

In 2017, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Ashley County, AR was General Cosmetology with 6 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Ashley County, AR according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Credence Institute of Beauty

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

6 degrees awarded

In 2017, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Credence Institute of Beauty with 6 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2017, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ashley County, AR, which is 0.2 times less than the 5 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2017, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5 degrees mean that there were 5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ashley County, AR was $91,900 in 2024, which is 0.276 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $88,800 to $91,900, a 3.49% increase. The homeownership rate in Ashley County, AR is 70.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ashley County, AR have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ashley County, AR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ashley County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.37%.

Housing

Property

$91,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,993

$5,210

Median Property Taxes

±$421

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ashley County, AR the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Ashley County, AR compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.8%

Homeownership

2024

59.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.8% of the housing units in Ashley County, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ashley County, AR compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$44,266

Median Household Income

± $3,356

7.36k

Number of Households

± 590

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.36k households in Ashley County, AR declined from $44,266 from the previous year's value of $44,481.

The following chart displays the households in Ashley County, AR 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ashley County, AR is from Arkansas.

0.448

2023 Wage GINI in Arkansas

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2023, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.73% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (84.6%)
Carpooled (8.99%)
Worked At Home (3.25%)

In 2024, 84.6% of workers in Ashley County, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.99%) and those who worked at home (3.25%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ashley County, AR have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.77% of the workforce in Ashley County, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ashley County, AR compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Ashley County, AR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ashley County, AR have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ashley County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.37%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ashley County, AR (4.05k out of 18.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 12 - 14.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ashley County, AR is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 25.2% of the children was living in poverty in Ashley County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 321 in Ashley County, AR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 36 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.1% of the population of Ashley County, AR has health coverage, with 26.1% on employee plans, 29.9% on Medicaid, 18.6% on Medicare, 14.6% on non-group plans, and 0.943% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ashley County, AR see 2,334 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,334 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2294 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1141 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,334 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ashley County, AR

Primary care physicians in Ashley County, AR see an average of 2,334 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,334 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Ashley County, AR in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.5% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.87%

Uninsured

26.1%

Employer Coverage

29.9%

Medicaid

18.6%

Medicare

14.6%

Non-Group

0.943%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ashley County, AR grew by 14.5% from 8.63% to 9.87%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Ashley County, AR changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 91.1 in Ashley County, AR.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ashley County, AR.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 42.1% in Ashley County, AR.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ashley County, AR.