This statistic shows the poverty rate in Arkansas from 2000 to 2023. Around 15.7 percent of Arkansas's population lived below the poverty line in 2022. This accounts for persons or families whose collective income in the preceding 12 months was below the national poverty level of the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Bradley County, AR (S1701ACS005011) from 2012 to 2023 about Bradley County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

In Arkansas, the poverty rate is 16.0% and the uninsured rate is 9.0%. Percent of people below the federal poverty line and the share without health insurance. Source: ACS 5-year estimates (derived).

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for Arkansas (PPAAAR05000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about AR, child, poverty, percent, and USA.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Arkansas County, AR was 14.70% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Arkansas County, AR reached a record high of 20.70 in January of 2017 and a record low of 14.70 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Arkansas County, AR - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Arkansas County, AR (S1701ACS005001) from 2012 to 2023 about Arkansas County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Pulaski County, AR (S1701ACS005119) from 2012 to 2023 about Pulaski County, AR; Little Rock; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, AR (S1701ACS005143) from 2012 to 2023 about Washington County, AR; Fayetteville; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Homeless Students in Arkansas (2024–25): What the data says

TL;DR: 10.9k Arkansas students experienced homelessness in 2024–25 (0.8% of enrollment). Most are “Doubled Up”, sharing housing because of loss of housing or economic hardship. Geography matters: large, fast-growing counties report the highest counts even when they aren’t the poorest, and poverty explains much but not all of variation in homelessness.

Data & Method

Sources: Arkansas Department of Education 2024–2025; NIH poverty estimates (see workbook notes).

Unit of analysis: county-level counts of students

Tools: Tableau Public dashboard + worksheets; regression overlay on county scatter.

What to look at in the dashboard

County Map – Homeless students by county. Use the map to spot hotspots, hover for counts and enrollment context.

Housing Type Breakdown – Statewide composition: Doubled-Up 89.3%, Awaiting Foster Care 4.9%, Hotels/Motels 3.9%, Unsheltered 1.9%. Hidden homelessness dominates the lived experience of students.

Poverty vs. Homeless Students (Scatter) – A clear positive relationship (R² ≈ 0.59, p < 0.0001) indicates poverty is a strong driver, but not the whole story—some populous counties sit above/below the line.

County Comparison Bars – For larger counties (e.g., Benton, Pulaski, Washington), most identified students are Doubled-Up, and that share typically ranges 80–92%, underscoring the need for family-stability interventions.

Key findings

Scale: ~10,872 students (≈0.8% of 1.46M enrollment) were identified as experiencing homelessness statewide.

Geography ≠ poverty alone: Benton County reports the highest count despite not being among the highest poverty counties, reflecting population growth and housing pressure.

Mechanism: “Doubled Up” is the dominant pathway into homelessness for students. It's far more common than shelters, motels, or unsheltered situations. Supports that keep families stably housed (rent/utility assistance, eviction prevention, rapid re-housing) are likely to reach the largest group.

How analysts can use this

Targeting: Combine county counts with local enrollment to compute rates and flag counties that are high count and high rate for prioritization.

Program design: Given the 89% Doubled Up share, expect needs around transportation, documentation, and quick stabilization rather than shelter capacity alone.

Further work: Add rental vacancy, eviction filings, and new construction permits to the model to explain outliers.

Caveats

Counts reflect identification, not true prevalence; under identification is common for Doubled Up students.

County differences may reflect district identification practices and local resources.

Exploration tips: Use the dashboard’s tooltips, legend toggles (to isolate housing types), and the regression line on the scatter to compare counties to the statewide trend.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Cleburne County, AR (S1701ACS005023) from 2012 to 2023 about Cleburne County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Jefferson County, AR (S1701ACS005069) from 2012 to 2023 about Jefferson County, AR; Pine Bluff; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts statistics for Arkansas County, Arkansas. QuickFacts data are derived from: Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, Current Population Survey, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, State and County Housing Unit Estimates, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Columbia County, AR (S1701ACS005027) from 2012 to 2023 about Columbia County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Craighead County, AR (S1701ACS005031) from 2012 to 2023 about Craighead County, AR; Jonesboro; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Lafayette County, AR (S1701ACS005073) from 2012 to 2023 about Lafayette County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Clark County, AR (S1701ACS005019) from 2012 to 2023 about Clark County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Prairie County, AR (S1701ACS005117) from 2012 to 2023 about Prairie County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Ashley County, AR (S1701ACS005003) from 2012 to 2023 about Ashley County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Howard County, AR (S1701ACS005061) from 2012 to 2023 about Howard County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Hempstead County, AR (S1701ACS005057) from 2012 to 2023 about Hempstead County, AR; AR; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.