Phillips County, AR

County

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2024 Population

15,450

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.9

2.51% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

29.3%

2.15% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$40,134

3.24% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$78,200

2.62% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

4,939

3.31% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Phillips 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.

98.6% of the residents in Phillips County, AR are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Phillips County, AR are Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (516 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Phillips County, AR was $78,200, and the homeownership rate was 51.2%.

Most people in Phillips County, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Phillips County, AR was 1 car per household.

Phillips County, AR borders Arkansas County, AR, Desha County, AR, Lee County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Bolivar County, MS, Coahoma County, MS, and Tunica County, MS.

United States Arkansas Helena-West Helena, AR

Population & Diversity

Phillips County, AR is home to a population of 15.5k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.53% of Phillips County, AR residents were born outside of the country (236 people).

In 2024, there were 1.83 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.31k people) in Phillips County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.08k White (Non-Hispanic) and 446 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.6% of Phillips County, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Phillips County, AR was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Phillips County, AR

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
9.31k ± 271
White (Non-Hispanic)
5.08k ± 90
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
446 ± 211

2.07%

Hispanic Population

320 people

2.07% of the people in Phillips County, AR are hispanic (320 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Phillips 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

1.53%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

236 people

1.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

199 people

As of 2024, 1.53% of Phillips County, AR residents (236 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 Phillips County, AR was 1.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
246 ± 108
Gulf War (2001-)
67 ± 51
Gulf War (1990s)
43 ± 29

Phillips County, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.67 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Phillips County, AR employs 4.94k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Phillips County, AR were Health Care & Social Assistance (754 people), Retail Trade (747 people), and Manufacturing (708 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($70,599), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($59,375), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,131).

Employment

Occupations

4.94k

2024 Value

± 527

−3.31%

1 Year decline

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Phillips County, AR declined at a rate of −3.31%, from 5.11k employees to 4.94k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Phillips County, AR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (610 people), Sales & Related Occupations (551 people), and Production Occupations (438 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Phillips 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

4.94k

2024 Value

± 527

−3.31%

1 Year decline

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Phillips County, AR declined at a rate of −3.31%, from 5.11k employees to 4.94k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Phillips County, AR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (754 people), Retail Trade (747 people), and Manufacturing (708 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Phillips County, AR, though some of these residents may live in Phillips County, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,594

Median earning men ± $3,816

$33,899

Median earning women ± $6,192

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($65,700), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,813), and Manufacturing ($48,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($50,417), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($49,394), and Manufacturing ($46,538).

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

29
Other Services (except Public Administration)
21
Retail Trade
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

$36.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$21.5k
Wholesale Trade
$20.6k
Manufacturing

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 Phillips 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 2023, universities in Phillips County, AR awarded 516 degrees. The student population of Phillips County, AR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 535 male students and 821 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Phillips County, AR are Black or African American (279 and 54.1%), White (208 and 40.3%), Hispanic or Latino (20 and 3.88%), and Asian (5 and 0.969%).

The largest universities in Phillips County, AR by number of degrees awarded are Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (516 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Phillips County, AR are Liberal Arts & Sciences (136 and 26.4%), Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (75 and 14.5%), and Welding Technology (51 and 9.88%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,356 students enrolled in Phillips County, AR, 39.5% men and 60.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 692 records, of which 63.2% were women and 36.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor
75 degrees awarded
Welding Technology
45 degrees awarded
HVAC Maintenance
22 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Phillips County, AR was Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor with 75 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 Phillips County, AR according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

516 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas with 516 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 258 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Phillips County, AR, which is 1 times more than the 258 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 279 degrees mean that there were 1.34 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 208 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 2023.

Public, 2-year ($920) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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 Phillips County, AR was $78,200 in 2024, which is 0.235 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $76,200 to $78,200, a 2.62% increase. The homeownership rate in Phillips County, AR is 51.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Phillips County, AR have an average commute time of 19.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Phillips County, AR is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

In 2025, 16.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Phillips County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.99%.

Housing

Property

$78,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,001

$3,083

Median Property Taxes

±$343

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

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

Rent vs Own

51.2%

Homeownership

2024

58.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.2% of the housing units in Phillips County, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Phillips 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.

$40,134

Median Household Income

± $4,740

6.02k

Number of Households

± 535

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.02k households in Phillips County, AR grew to $40,134 from the previous year's value of $38,874.

The following chart displays the households in Phillips 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Phillips 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 (75.6%)
Carpooled (12.3%)
Worked At Home (4.08%)

In 2024, 75.6% of workers in Phillips County, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.3%) and those who worked at home (4.08%).

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

19.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Phillips County, AR have a shorter commute time (19.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.98% of the workforce in Phillips County, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Phillips County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.99%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

29.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Phillips County, AR (4.5k out of 15.3k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Phillips County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 45.2% of the children was living in poverty in Phillips County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.1%.

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 1.19k in Phillips County, AR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 73.6 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.4% of the population of Phillips County, AR has health coverage, with 23.3% on employee plans, 42.6% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 1.51% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Phillips County, AR see 1,591 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,591 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3061 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1360 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,591 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Phillips County, AR

Primary care physicians in Phillips County, AR see an average of 1,591 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,591 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28.4% under 18 years, 15.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.58%

Uninsured

23.3%

Employer Coverage

42.6%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

11.7%

Non-Group

1.51%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Phillips County, AR declined by 10.1% from 8.43% to 7.58%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Phillips 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 107 in Phillips County, AR.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Phillips 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 51.3% in Phillips County, AR.

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