Rank #33 by Population · Updated April 2026

Arkansas Population 2026

Source·US Census ACS 5-Year 2023Updated·Apr 12, 2026Reviewed by·Population Review Data Team

The population of Arkansas is 3,032,651 as of the 2023 American Community Survey, making it the 33rd-most populous state in the United States. The median household income is $58,773, the median home value is $175,300, and the median age is 38.4.

Arkansas's population has grown 96.2% since 1910 (1,574,449 → 3,088,354).

3,032,651

Population

People / sq mi

$58,773

Median Income

38.4

Median Age

Arkansas covers 51,992 sq mi of land at a density of 58.3 people per square mile.

About Arkansas

Arkansas is a US state with a population of 3,032,651. It ranks #33 among US states by population. The median age is 38.4, in line with the national median. The population is 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

The median household income in Arkansas is $58,773, below the US median of $74,580. 11.5% of residents live below the federal poverty level. Home values sit at a median of $175,300, with monthly rent averaging $914. The homeownership rate of 66.1% is close to the national rate of 64.8%.

Educational attainment in Arkansas reflects 25.1% of adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national average of 34.3%. Roughly 7.8% of workers primarily work from home, below the national work-from-home rate of 14.2%. The average commute is 22.3 minutes each way.

Arkansas, #33 by population

Arkansas Population History (1910-2024)

The state of Arkansas had a population of 1,574,449 in 1910 and 3,088,354 in 2024, a 96.2% growth over 114 years. The peak was 3,088,354 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 0.60%.

3,088,354

Population (2024)

1,574,449

Population (1910)

3,088,354

Peak (2024)

0.60%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1910	1,574,449	-	-	decennial
1920	1,752,204	+177,755	+1.08%	decennial
1930	1,854,482	+102,278	+0.57%	decennial
1940	1,949,387	+94,905	+0.50%	decennial
1950	1,909,511	-39,876	-0.21%	decennial
1960	1,786,272	-123,239	-0.66%	decennial
1970	1,923,295	+137,023	+0.74%	decennial
1980	2,286,435	+363,140	+1.74%	decennial
1990	2,350,725	+64,290	+0.28%	decennial
2000	2,673,400	+322,675	+1.29%	decennial
2010	2,915,918	+242,518	+0.87%	decennial
2020	3,011,524	+95,606	+0.32%	decennial
2020	3,014,546	+3,022	-	estimate
2021	3,026,870	+12,324	+0.41%	estimate
2022	3,047,704	+20,834	+0.69%	estimate
2023	3,069,463	+21,759	+0.71%	estimate
2024	3,088,354	+18,891	+0.62%	estimate

Age Distribution

Under 5

6.0%

5-9

6.5%

10-14

6.7%

15-19

6.8%

20-24

6.6%

25-34

12.9%

35-44

12.7%

45-54

11.8%

55-59

6.3%

60-64

6.4%

65-74

10.2%

75-84

5.3%

85+

1.9%

Male: 49.3% · Female: 50.7%

Race & Ethnicity

White	70.9%
Black or African American	14.9%
Asian	0.0%
American Indian & Alaska Native	0.6%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	0.1%
Two or More Races	0.0%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.4%

Economy & Income

$58,773

Median Household Income

$33,147

Per Capita Income

11.5%

Poverty Rate

3.0%

Unemployment Rate

$82,554

Mean Household Income

55.1%

Employment Rate

Cost of Living

Arkansas's overall price level is 86.9 on the BEA Regional Price Parity index (US average = 100), meaning prices are 13.1% lower the US average. Adjusting for cost of living, Arkansas's median household income of $58,773 has the buying power of $67,604 in average-priced areas.

86.9

Price Level (US = 100)

$67,604

COL-Adjusted Median Income

$58,773

Nominal Median Income

Education

88.6%

High School Graduate+

25.1%

Bachelor's Degree+

Births & Fertility

35,471

Live Births (2022)

11.7

Birth Rate (per 1,000)

54.7%

Births to Married Mothers

Births by Mother's Age

Under 20

5,681 (16.0%)

20-24

9,423 (26.6%)

25-29

11,022 (31.1%)

30-34

8,261 (23.3%)

35-39

3,516 (9.9%)

40+

746 (2.1%)

Births by Mother's Race

White	74.6%
Black or African American	18.4%
Hispanic or Latino	11.9%

Housing

$175,300

Median Home Value

$914

Median Rent

1,382,664

Total Housing Units

66.1%

Owner-Occupied

33.9%

Renter-Occupied

14.0%

Vacant

Languages Spoken at Home

91.9% of Arkansas residents age 5+ speak only English at home. The most common non-English languages spoken at home in Arkansas:

#	Language	Speakers	% of pop. 5+
1	Spanish	71,239	2.50%
2	Vietnamese	2,888	0.10%
3	Thai, Lao, or other Tai-Kadai	2,457	0.09%
4	Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)	1,775	0.06%
5	Tagalog (incl. Filipino)	1,206	0.04%
6	Korean	944	0.03%
7	Other Asian/Pacific	825	0.03%
8	German	723	0.03%
9	Telugu	621	0.02%
10	Arabic	554	0.02%

Commute

0.3%

Drive Alone

1.5%

Carpool

7.8%

Work From Home

22.3 min

Avg Commute

Largest Cities in Arkansas

#	City	Population	Median Income	Median Home
1	Little Rock	202,739	$60,583	$221,200
2	Fayetteville	97,227	$59,074	$322,500
3	Fort Smith	89,496	$52,692	$168,100
4	Springdale	87,388	$66,044	$237,200
5	Jonesboro	79,187	$52,559	$213,400
6	Rogers	71,411	$82,993	$278,000
7	Conway	66,288	$58,461	$234,600
8	North Little Rock	64,504	$51,236	$169,500
9	Bentonville	56,326	$108,465	$370,700
10	Pine Bluff	40,436	$41,250	$86,400
11	Hot Springs	38,023	$46,441	$156,900
12	Benton	35,954	$69,638	$199,400
13	Sherwood	32,915	$79,157	$190,900
14	Bella Vista	30,935	$85,932	$262,400
15	Paragould	29,940	$56,181	$175,400
16	Texarkana	29,343	$47,930	$162,700
17	Jacksonville	29,285	$46,947	$155,300
18	Russellville	29,057	$48,708	$166,500
19	Cabot	26,733	$72,656	$197,000
20	West Memphis	24,147	$41,860	$119,100

Counties in Arkansas

#	County	Population	Median Income
1	Pulaski County	398,949	$60,385
2	Benton County	294,541	$89,879
3	Washington County	251,863	$66,426
4	Sebastian County	128,448	$56,450
5	Faulkner County	126,001	$65,071
6	Saline County	125,724	$76,534
7	Craighead County	112,097	$57,615
8	Garland County	100,062	$55,409
9	White County	77,395	$53,435
10	Lonoke County	74,747	$71,449
11	Jefferson County	65,780	$48,552
12	Pope County	63,830	$54,606
13	Crawford County	60,792	$60,362
14	Crittenden County	47,609	$54,271
15	Greene County	46,182	$56,793
16	Miller County	42,588	$49,983
17	Baxter County	42,150	$48,427
18	Mississippi County	39,749	$53,428
19	Union County	38,368	$50,221
20	Independence County	38,120	$56,009

Compare Arkansas

vs Nevada vs Iowa vs Utah vs Mississippi vs Kansas

Rankings for Arkansas

Largest Cities Richest Cities Most Expensive Cities Youngest Cities Most Educated Cities Highest Rent Cities Largest Counties Richest Counties Cost of Living

Metro areas in Arkansas

Memphis (1,341,606)Little Rock (753,605)Fayetteville (563,436)Fort Smith (228,916)Texarkana (146,868)Jonesboro (134,837)Hot Springs (100,062)All US metros →

Congressional districts in Arkansas

AR-1 (753,522)AR-2 (755,024)AR-3 (770,992)AR-4 (753,113)All US districts →

Largest school districts in Arkansas

Little Rock School District (180,881)Pulaski County Special School District (131,665)Bentonville Public Schools (122,052)Springdale School District (113,018)Fayetteville School District (104,528)Rogers Public Schools (102,662)Fort Smith Public Schools (91,610)Conway Public Schools (79,595)Bryant Public Schools (60,201)Cabot Public Schools (55,515)North Little Rock School District (53,929)Russellville Schools (39,992)All US school districts →

Other states

Iowa Nevada Mississippi Kansas New Mexico All states →

State rankings

Densest States by Population per Square Mile Least Densely Populated States US States by Land Area Populated States Oldest States by Median Age Youngest States by Median Age Racially Diverse States States With Largest Hispanic Population States With Largest Black Population States With Largest Asian Population All rankings →

Common questions about Arkansas

What is the population of Arkansas?What is the median household income in Arkansas?What is the median home value in Arkansas?What is the largest city in Arkansas?What is the largest county in Arkansas?What is the cheapest city in Arkansas?What are the demographics of Arkansas?What is the cost of living in Arkansas?Is Arkansas growing or shrinking?

Frequently Asked Questions

Arkansas has a population of 3,032,651 according to the US Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, making it the 33rd-most populous state in the United States.

Arkansas is gaining population, with a +96.2% change over the available historical Census record. Arkansas's population has grown 96.2% since 1910 (1,574,449 → 3,088,354).

The median household income in Arkansas is $58,773, with a per capita income of $33,147. 11.5% of the population lives below the federal poverty level.

70.9% of Arkansas's population identifies as White (Census ACS 2023). 14.9% is Black or African American, 0.0% is Asian, and 2.4% is Hispanic or Latino (any race, counted separately under Census methodology).

Arkansas is 70.9% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 0.0% Asian, and 2.4% Hispanic or Latino (any race). Hispanic/Latino is counted as an ethnicity separate from race under Census methodology, so totals may exceed 100% in some breakdowns.

The median age in Arkansas is 38.4 years. The population is 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

Arkansas's population has grown 96.2% since 1910 (1,574,449 → 3,088,354).

Across recent Census Population Estimates, West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Illinois have shown the largest sustained population declines. Arkansas's own trend is gaining. National state-by-state rankings are published annually by the Census Population Estimates Program.

Sources: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, CDC National Vital Statistics System (2022)

Demographic data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates. Birth statistics from the CDC National Vital Statistics System via Data Commons. California does not report marital status on birth certificates. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.