Van Buren County, AR

County

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2024 Population
15,998
US Senator
John Boozman
Republican Party
US Senator
Tom Cotton
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
19.1%
1.91% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$50,354
6.53% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$135,700
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
5,720
2.33% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Van Buren 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.

98.8% of the residents in Van Buren County, AR are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Van Buren County, AR was $135,700, and the homeownership rate was 77.9%.

Most people in Van Buren County, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Van Buren County, AR was 2 cars per household.

United StatesArkansas

Population & Diversity

Van Buren County, AR is home to a population of 16k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.9% of Van Buren County, AR residents were born outside of the country (304 people).

In 2024, there were 34.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.7k people) in Van Buren County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 426 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 227 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%
2024 Citizenship
98.8%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Van Buren County, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Van Buren County, AR was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Van Buren County, AR
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    14.7k ± 123
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    426 ± 74
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    227 ± 93
3.44%
Hispanic Population
551 people

In 2024, there were 34.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.7k people) in Van Buren County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 426 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 227 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

3.44% of the people in Van Buren County, AR are hispanic (551 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Arkansas.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    66,711 ± 6,271 people
  2. El Salvador
    16,390 ± 3,135 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.9%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
304 people
1.63%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
260 people

As of 2024, 1.9% of Van Buren County, AR residents (304 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 Van Buren County, AR was 1.63%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    583 ± 124
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    238 ± 115
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    234 ± 83

Van Buren County, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.45 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Van Buren County, AR employs 5.72k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Van Buren County, AR were Retail Trade (891 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (850 people), and Construction (642 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($106,346), Transportation & Warehousing ($59,167), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,839).

Employment

Occupations

5.72k
2024 Value
± 571
2.33%
1 Year growth
± 13.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Van Buren County, AR grew at a rate of 2.33%, from 5.59k employees to 5.72k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Van Buren County, AR, are Sales & Related Occupations (597 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (560 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (540 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Van Buren County, AR.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.72k
2024 Value
± 571
2.33%
1 Year growth
± 13.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Van Buren County, AR grew at a rate of 2.33%, from 5.59k employees to 5.72k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Van Buren County, AR, are Retail Trade (891 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (850 people), and Construction (642 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Van Buren County, AR, though some of these residents may live in Van Buren County, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$42,643
Median earning men ± $4,774
$32,345
Median earning women ± $4,452

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,094), Manufacturing ($49,688), and Retail Trade ($47,540).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,798), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,278), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($45,385).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 35
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 25
    Retail Trade
  3. 25
    Construction

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $27k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $19.4k
    Retail Trade
  3. $9.68k
    Transportation and Warehousing

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

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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

Voting results are not available for Van Buren County, AR. Showing the available data for Arkansas.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (33.6%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Arkansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.
John Boozman
Senator from Arkansas3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011
Tom Cotton
Senator from Arkansas2
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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Van Buren County, AR was $135,700 in 2024, which is 0.408 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $122,300 to $135,700, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Van Buren County, AR is 77.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Van Buren County, AR have an average commute time of 33.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.773%.

Housing

Property

$135,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$14,910
$5,788
Median Property Taxes
±$518

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

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

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Rent vs Own

77.9%
Homeownership
2024
69.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 77.9% of the housing units in Van Buren County, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$50,354
Median Household Income
± $5,963
7.43k
Number of Households
± 619

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.43k households in Van Buren County, AR grew to $50,354 from the previous year's value of $47,266.

The following chart displays the households in Van Buren 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Van Buren 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (74.6%)
  2. Carpooled (11.7%)
  3. Worked At Home (8.25%)

In 2024, 74.6% of workers in Van Buren County, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who worked at home (8.25%).

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.

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Commute Time

33.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Van Buren County, AR have a longer commute time (33.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.18% of the workforce in Van Buren County, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Van Buren County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.773%.

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

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Poverty & Diversity

19.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Van Buren County, AR (3.02k out of 15.8k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Van Buren County, AR is White, followed by Two Or More 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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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 23.8% of the children was living in poverty in Van Buren County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.2%.

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

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 278 in Van Buren County, AR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 23.8 per 100,000 population.

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

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Health

91.8% of the population of Van Buren County, AR has health coverage, with 24.6% on employee plans, 31.9% on Medicaid, 18.8% on Medicare, 13.1% on non-group plans, and 3.47% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Van Buren County, AR see 3,924 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,924 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1789 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1076 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,924 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Van Buren County, AR

Primary care physicians in Van Buren County, AR see an average of 3,924 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,924 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.9% under 18 years, 13.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.19%
Uninsured
24.6%
Employer Coverage
31.9%
Medicaid
18.8%
Medicare
13.1%
Non-Group
3.47%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Van Buren County, AR declined by 17.2% from 9.89% to 8.19%.

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

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2019, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 75.1 in Van Buren County, AR.

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

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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 37% in Van Buren County, AR.

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

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 10.4% in Van Buren County, AR.

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

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