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COUNTY

Craighead County

Arkansas · 116,957 residents (2025 est.) · 707 sq mi
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The short version

Craighead County is home to 113,249 people in Arkansas. Growth has run 38% since 2000, or 31,101 more people. This skews young, with a median age of 34.5. 4% of locals were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $210,400, having roughly tripled since 2000. The poverty rate is 20.1%, above the 12.5% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
113,249
+38%since 2000
from 82,148 in 2000
116,957 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
160 / sq mi
+24%since 2009
from 129 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.5
+5%since 2000
from 33.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
707 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
65K78K91K104K118K19902000201020202024Craighead County
2024113K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.6%(7,526)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97%(7,875)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.2%(8,185)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.7%(8,715)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.4%(8,400)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.8%(16,706)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.6%(15,437)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411%(12,468)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.8%(12,214)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.2%(9,342)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(4,419)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(1,962)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,548
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,425 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,774
+98%since 2000
from $17,091 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
39.2%
+16.6 ptssince 2009
from 22.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.1%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 15.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.491
+4%since 2010
from 0.473 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade11.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$210,400
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $74,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$958
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $454 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.1%
−3.8 ptssince 2000
from 63.9% in 2000
39.9% rent
Vacancy rate
9.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.47 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.8%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 18.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.9%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 42.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.5
+36%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.2%(72,489)
Black7.7%(6,345)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(1,739)
Asian0.6%(480)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic70.8%(80,158)
Black16.6%(18,846)
Hispanic / Latino6.3%(7,146)
Asian1.2%(1,404)
Other5%(5,695)
Diversity Score
58
+60%since 2009
from 36 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
35
−13%since 2020
from 40 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.2%(5,840)
Puerto Rican0.4%(466)
Spaniard0.1%(161)
Salvadoran0.1%(102)
Argentine0.1%(93)
Cuban0%(55)
Honduran0%(52)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(326)
Filipino0.3%(323)
Chinese0.3%(292)
Vietnamese0.1%(168)
Laotian0.1%(135)
Korean0.1%(76)
Japanese0%(13)
Pakistani0%(11)
Thai0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(18)
Ancestry
English13.1%(14,888)
Irish10.1%(11,412)
American9.5%(10,753)
German9.3%(10,540)
Scottish1.9%(2,159)
Italian1.8%(2,015)
French1%(1,139)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(742)
Arab0.6%(670)
Welsh0.5%(555)
Dutch0.5%(542)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
British0.4%(442)
Polish0.4%(427)
Swedish0.3%(349)
Norwegian0.2%(260)
Nigerian0.2%(249)
Egyptian0.2%(229)
Moroccan0.2%(189)
Croatian0.1%(139)
Swiss0.1%(126)
Czech0.1%(116)
Russian0.1%(112)
Palestinian0.1%(108)
Austrian0.1%(79)
Lebanese0.1%(75)
Danish0%(48)
Iranian0%(39)
Finnish0%(36)
Greek0%(31)
Ukrainian0%(31)
Latvian0%(26)
Hungarian0%(18)
Canadian0%(17)
Slovak0%(17)
Armenian0%(14)
Syrian0%(13)
Slovene0%(3)
Haitian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.7%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 20.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.2%
+12.9 ptssince 2000
from 77.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.8%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 7.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.6 min
+58%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
81.5%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.6%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2011
from 63.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 74.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.8%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 31.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
19.5%
+5.0 ptssince 2012
from 14.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.2%
−9.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.0%
+10.3 ptssince 2017
from 77.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.8%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.9%
+5.6 ptssince 2020
from 77.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2016
from 94.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2016
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.3%(15,157)
Married52.5%(22,551)
Widowed2.3%(1,001)
Divorced9.9%(4,274)
Women 15+
Never married29.6%(13,829)
Married47.9%(22,367)
Widowed8.9%(4,168)
Divorced13.5%(6,316)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.2%
−9.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
46.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
29.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 27.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 61.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.5%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 41.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.3%(1,243)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.6%(988)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.7%(1,953)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.7%(357)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(12)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,325 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Pop 113,106
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Head to head

Compare Craighead County to nearby counties

CRAIGHEAD COUNTY VS
Poinsett County
Income$46,707−22%
Home value$103,000−51%
Population22,483−81%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY VS
Greene County
Income$57,839−3%
Home value$169,300−20%
Population47,411−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY VS
Lawrence County
Income$44,882−25%
Home value$98,900−53%
Population16,273−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY VS
Mississippi County
Income$52,548−12%
Home value$122,500−42%
Population37,828−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Craighead County, Arkansas?

Craighead County, Arkansas has about 113,249 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Craighead County, Arkansas?

The typical household in Craighead County, Arkansas earns about $59,548 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Craighead County, Arkansas expensive?

In Craighead County, Arkansas, the median home is worth about $210,400, and the typical rent is about $958 a month.

How educated are people in Craighead County, Arkansas?

About 29.7% of adults age 25 and over in Craighead County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Craighead County, Arkansas?

About 20.1% of people in Craighead County, Arkansas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Craighead County, Arkansas grown since 1990?

Yes, Craighead County, Arkansas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 44,293 residents, a change of about 64 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →