Helena-West Helena, AR

Census Place

2024 Population

8,935

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.3

0.254% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

31.7%

2.23% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$36,019

10.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Helena-West Helena, AR is home to a population of 8.94k people, from which 98.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.17% of Helena-West Helena, AR residents were born outside of the country (194 people).

In 2024, there were 3.55 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.42k people) in Helena-West Helena, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.81k White (Non-Hispanic) and 238 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.1%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.1% of Helena-West Helena, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Helena-West Helena, AR was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Helena-West Helena, AR

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
6.42k ± 448
White (Non-Hispanic)
1.81k ± 330
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
238 ± 152

2.66%

Hispanic Population

238 people

2.66% of the people in Helena-West Helena, AR are hispanic (238 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Helena-West Helena, AR as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
66,868 ± 6,279 people
El Salvador
15,793 ± 3,077 people
India
10,798 ± 2,547 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 66,868 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 15,793 and India with 10,798.

Foreign-Born Population

2.17%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

194 people

1.87%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

172 people

As of 2024, 2.17% of Helena-West Helena, AR residents (194 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 Helena-West Helena, AR was 1.87%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
107 ± 68
Gulf War (2001-)
50 ± 48
Gulf War (1990s)
17 ± 20

Helena-West Helena, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.14 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Helena-West Helena, AR.

Economy

The economy of Helena-West Helena, AR employs 2.63k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Helena-West Helena, AR were Health Care & Social Assistance (561 people), Retail Trade (399 people), and Manufacturing (291 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,849), Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,712), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,822).

Employment

Occupations

2.63k

2024 Value

± 432

−3.49%

1 Year decline

± 23.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Helena-West Helena, AR declined at a rate of −3.49%, from 2.72k employees to 2.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Helena-West Helena, AR, are Sales & Related Occupations (334 people), Material Moving Occupations (249 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (226 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Helena-West Helena, 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

2.63k

2024 Value

± 432

−3.49%

1 Year decline

± 23.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Helena-West Helena, AR declined at a rate of −3.49%, from 2.72k employees to 2.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Helena-West Helena, AR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (561 people), Retail Trade (399 people), and Manufacturing (291 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Helena-West Helena, AR, though some of these residents may live in Helena-West Helena, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$33,835

Median earning men ± $10,203

$32,114

Median earning women ± $10,560

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,452), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,717), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($41,629).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($49,663), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,893), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($22,000).

Education

The student population of Helena-West Helena, AR in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 479 male students and 720 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Helena-West Helena, AR are White (226 and 48.8%), Black or African American (214 and 46.2%), Hispanic or Latino (14 and 3.02%), and Unknown (4 and 0.864%).

The largest universities in Helena-West Helena, AR by number of degrees awarded are Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (463 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Helena-West Helena, AR are Liberal Arts & Sciences (101 and 21.8%), Welding Technology (66 and 14.3%), and General Health Services (41 and 8.86%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 1,199 students enrolled in Helena-West Helena, AR, 39.9% men and 60.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 602 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Welding Technology
58 degrees awarded
General Health Services
41 degrees awarded
Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor
30 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Helena-West Helena, AR was Welding Technology with 58 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Helena-West Helena, AR according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

463 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas with 463 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 205 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Helena-West Helena, AR, which is 0.795 times less than the 258 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 226 degrees mean that there were 1.06 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 214 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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,730) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,070) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,350) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Helena-West Helena, AR was $73,200 in 2024, which is 0.22 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $72,300 to $73,200, a 1.24% increase. The homeownership rate in Helena-West Helena, AR is 42%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Helena-West Helena, AR have an average commute time of 20.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Helena-West Helena, AR is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$73,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,957

$1,446

Median Property Taxes

±$261

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 Helena-West Helena, AR the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

42%

Homeownership

2024

56%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 42% of the housing units in Helena-West Helena, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 46%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Helena-West Helena, 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.

$36,019

Median Household Income

± $7,469

3.44k

Number of Households

± 432

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.44k households in Helena-West Helena, AR grew to $36,019 from the previous year's value of $32,466.

The following chart displays the households in Helena-West Helena, 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 $10k - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Helena-West Helena, AR is from Arkansas.

0.445

2024 Wage GINI in Arkansas

0.448

2023 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2024, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.445 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.844% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (69.4%)
Carpooled (16.3%)
Other (3.88%)

In 2024, 69.4% of workers in Helena-West Helena, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16.3%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (3.88%).

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

20.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Helena-West Helena, AR have a shorter commute time (20.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.14% of the workforce in Helena-West Helena, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Helena-West Helena, AR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Helena-West Helena, AR have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

31.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Helena-West Helena, AR (2.8k out of 8.82k 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 Males < 5, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Helena-West Helena, AR is Black, followed by White 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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