Demographics of Howard County, Arkansas

Howard County, Arkansas had 12,306 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −454 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Howard County, in four figures

12,306
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −3.6%
Change since July 2020: −454 people.; 38.8 ±0.7
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $45,603 ±$5,800
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Howard County, Arkansas's population shrank 3.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Howard County, Arkansas's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Howard County, Arkansas's population shrank 3.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Howard County, Arkansas's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	12,760	100.0	100.0
2021	12,691	99.5	100.2
2022	12,600	98.7	100.7
2023	12,565	98.5	101.6
2024	12,496	97.9	102.5
2025	12,306	96.4	103.1

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Population of Howard County, Arkansas on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	12,760	−28	−8	0	−22
2021	12,691	−69	−29	+2	−48
2022	12,600	−91	−28	+19	−81
2023	12,565	−35	+8	+14	−56
2024	12,496	−69	−45	+43	−67
2025	12,306	−190	−55	+10	−141

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 38.8 ±0.7: for men 38.3 ±1.6 and for women 39.1 ±0.8. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Howard County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Arkansas	United States
Under 5	833 ±60	6.6% ±0.5	5.9% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	2,401 ±249	19.1% ±2.0	17.2% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,034 ±211	8.2% ±1.7	9.4% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	3,158 ±284	25.1% ±2.3	25.7% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	2,786 ±211	22.1% ±1.7	24.3% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	2,371 ±253	18.8% ±2.0	17.6% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $45,603 ±$5,800, and income per person $25,569 ±$1,852, in 2024 dollars. The median is $60,773 ±$467 in Arkansas and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Howard County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Arkansas	United States
Under $25,000	1,310 ±230	25.7% ±4.4	19.9% ±0.3	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	1,444 ±293	28.3% ±5.6	22.0% ±0.3	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	942 ±192	18.5% ±3.7	17.4% ±0.3	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	511 ±110	10.0% ±2.1	12.8% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	623 ±155	12.2% ±3.0	15.0% ±0.3	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	51 to 165	1.0% to 3.2%	6.2% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	80 to 240	1.6% to 4.7%	6.7% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Howard County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Arkansas	United States
All ages	2,795 ±542	22.5% ±4.4	16.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	818 ±204	25.3% ±5.7	21.1% ±0.5	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	1,375 ±343	22.6% ±5.3	15.3% ±0.3	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	602 ±169	19.4% ±5.2	12.6% ±0.3	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Howard County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Howard County	Arkansas	United States
Housing units	6,173 ±30	1,394,673 ±514	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	82.6% ±3.4	86.5% ±0.3	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	17.4% ±3.4	13.5% ±0.3	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	72.5% ±3.2	66.4% ±0.4	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	27.5% ±3.7	33.6% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$153,900 ±$16,888	$188,000 ±$1,754	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$690 ±$67	$947 ±$6	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1979 ±2	1987 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Howard County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Arkansas	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1,582 ±0	12.6% ±<0.1	9.0% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	7,909 ±45	62.9% ±0.4	67.4% ±0.2	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	2,614 ±202	20.8% ±1.6	14.6% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 180	0% to 1.4%	1.6% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 32	0% to 0.3%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 21	0% to 0.2%	0.4% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 21	0% to 0.2%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	194 to 592	1.5% to 4.7%	6.3% ±0.2	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Howard County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Arkansas	United States
Born in the state	7,708 ±404	61.3% ±3.2	60.4% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	4,099 ±367	32.6% ±2.9	33.5% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	8 to 90	0.1% to 0.7%	0.7% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	727 ±240	5.8% ±1.9	5.4% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	39 to 445	0.3% to 3.5%	1.9% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	485 ±183	3.9% ±1.5	3.6% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Howard County among the counties of Arkansas

56th of 75 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Arkansas page.

Counties of Arkansas near Howard County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Phillips County	14,255	−13.0%
Clay County	14,052	−3.3%
Lincoln County	12,764	−1.0%
Stone County	12,703	+2.9%
Fulton County	12,492	+3.7%
Howard County	12,306	−3.6%
Little River County	11,763	−1.8%
Perry County	10,309	+3.1%
Desha County	9,984	−11.8%
Scott County	9,965	+1.4%
Pike County	9,964	−1.9%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026