Howard County, AR

County

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2024 Population

12,583

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.8

1.52% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

22.5%

13.8% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$45,603

2.5% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$153,900

13.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,155

0.694% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Howard 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.

96.1% of the residents in Howard County, AR are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Howard County, AR was $153,900, and the homeownership rate was 72.5%.

Most people in Howard County, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Howard County, AR was 2 cars per household.

Howard County, AR borders Hempstead County, AR, Little River County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Pike County, AR, Polk County, AR, and Sevier County, AR.

United States Arkansas

Population & Diversity

Howard County, AR is home to a population of 12.6k people, from which 96.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.78% of Howard County, AR residents were born outside of the country (727 people).

In 2024, there were 3.03 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.91k people) in Howard County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.61k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 879 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%

2024 Citizenship

94.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.1% of Howard County, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Howard County, AR was 94.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Howard County, AR

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.91k ± 45
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.61k ± 202
Other (Hispanic)
879 ± 280

12.6%

Hispanic Population

1.58k people

12.6% of the people in Howard County, AR are hispanic (1.58k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Howard 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

5.78%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

727 people

7.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

991 people

As of 2024, 5.78% of Howard County, AR residents (727 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 Howard County, AR was 7.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
225 ± 97
Vietnam
106 ± 59
Gulf War (2001-)
88 ± 54

Howard County, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 2.12 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Howard County, AR employs 5.16k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Howard County, AR were Manufacturing (1,549 people), Educational Services (557 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (498 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($64,934), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,186), and Educational Services ($46,674).

Employment

Occupations

5.16k

2024 Value

± 494

−0.694%

1 Year decline

± 13.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howard County, AR declined at a rate of −0.694%, from 5.19k employees to 5.16k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Howard County, AR, are Production Occupations (951 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (590 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (464 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Howard 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

5.16k

2024 Value

± 494

−0.694%

1 Year decline

± 13.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howard County, AR declined at a rate of −0.694%, from 5.19k employees to 5.16k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Howard County, AR, are Manufacturing (1,549 people), Educational Services (557 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (498 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Howard County, AR, though some of these residents may live in Howard County, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,854

Median earning men ± $4,247

$31,095

Median earning women ± $1,940

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,967), Manufacturing ($46,003), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($45,417), Wholesale Trade ($41,875), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($37,857).

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

27
Other Services (except Public Administration)
19
Finance and Insurance
19
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

$124k
Manufacturing
$31.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$16.3k
Retail Trade

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 Howard 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Howard County, AR was $153,900 in 2024, which is 0.463 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $135,400 to $153,900, a 13.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Howard County, AR is 72.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Howard County, AR have an average commute time of 19.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Howard County, AR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howard County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.8%.

Housing

Property

$153,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,888

$3,698

Median Property Taxes

±$385

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 Howard County, AR the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

72.5%

Homeownership

2024

63.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.5% of the housing units in Howard County, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Howard 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.

$45,603

Median Household Income

± $5,800

5.1k

Number of Households

± 470

In 2024, the median household income of the 5.1k households in Howard County, AR grew to $45,603 from the previous year's value of $44,492.

The following chart displays the households in Howard 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 $20k - $25k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Howard 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 (79.5%)
Carpooled (12.6%)
Worked At Home (3.03%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Howard County, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.6%) and those who worked at home (3.03%).

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

19.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Howard County, AR have a shorter commute time (19.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.81% of the workforce in Howard County, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Howard 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 Howard County, AR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Howard County, AR have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howard County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.8%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

22.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Howard County, AR (2.8k out of 12.4k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Howard County, AR is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

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, 22.5% of the children was living in poverty in Howard County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.3%.

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 154 in Howard County, AR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 129 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 Howard County, AR has health coverage, with 37% on employee plans, 27.8% on Medicaid, 14.8% on Medicare, 9.71% on non-group plans, and 0.726% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Howard County, AR see 2,116 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,116 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4186 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 627 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,116 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Howard County, AR

Primary care physicians in Howard County, AR see an average of 2,116 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,116 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.3% under 18 years, 18.4% between 18 and 34 years, 35.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.88%

Uninsured

37%

Employer Coverage

27.8%

Medicaid

14.8%

Medicare

9.71%

Non-Group

0.726%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Howard County, AR declined by 15.2% from 11.7% to 9.88%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Howard 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 103 in Howard County, AR.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Howard 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 39.7% in Howard County, AR.

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