Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety23#12,072/15,637
Economy5#14,777/15,631
Housing80#2,992/14,977
Health15#13,315/15,609
Healthcare2#15,367/15,650
Environment53#7,330/15,453
Education15#13,342/15,649
Infrastructure24#11,890/15,650
Community6#14,706/15,651
Leisure & amenities16#13,126/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bull Shoals, Arkansas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marion County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Students per teacher · low7.7×
100/100Arkansas 12.5×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsMarion County value
Job growth · high4.1%
97/100Arkansas -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMarion County value
Rent-burdened households · low41.0%
90/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Public transit commuters · high3.3%
89/100Arkansas 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Arkansas 1United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Rent as share of income · low28.5%
81/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low11 /100k
0/100Arkansas 281 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Average weekly wage · low$836
2/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarion County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low30.8%
2/100Arkansas 63.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Dentists · low17 /100k
3/100Arkansas 50 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Reading scores · low2.57
3/100Arkansas 2.89United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Arkansas 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyMarion County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
2,260 (2015-2019) → 1,678 (2020-2024)
−26%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
54.0% (2015-2019) → 41.0% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Unemployment rateWorsening
3.9% (2015-2019) → 12.9% (2020-2024)
+9 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
6.7% (2015-2019) → 14.5% (2020-2024)
+7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Average commute timeWorsening
21.3 min (2015-2019) → 25.7 min (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.1× (2015-2019) → 3.8× (2020-2024)
+20%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Bull Shoals, Arkansas improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Bull Shoals, Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.3 min2015-2019	25.7 min2020-2024	+4.4 min	Within the margin of error	12%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.7%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Broadband subscriptions	87.0%2015-2019	85.8%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Effective property tax rate	0.68%2015-2019	0.64%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	22%
High school diploma or higher	89.6%2015-2019	86.5%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4102015-2019	0.4872020-2024	+0.077	Within the margin of error	8%
Median household income	$40,3132015-2019	$41,9762020-2024	+4.1%	Within the margin of error	11%
Poverty rate	12.3%2015-2019	14.6%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Rent as share of income	31.3%2015-2019	28.5%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Rent-burdened households	54.0%2015-2019	41.0%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.1%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	44%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Bull Shoals, Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bull Shoals, Arkansas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Bull Shoals, Arkansas itself moved −9.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,678 residents (±293)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 women (−6.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,678 residents (±293)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

White86%1,444
Black0.1%†2
Hispanic or Latino1.9%†32

Education

1,370 residents (±210)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

No high school diploma14%†185
High school or GED34%465
Some college24%†334

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

845 households (±129)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k22%†183
$25k–50k34%†286
$50k–75k20%†165
$75k–100k8.4%†71
$100k–150k9.9%†84
$150k–200k1.4%†12
$200k or more5.2%†44

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+5.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

845 households (±129)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own70%593
Rent30%†252

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

195 households (±78)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $75054%†106
$750–1,00024%†47
$1,000–1,5009.2%†18

Home values

593 homes (±107)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $150k47%†279
$150k–250k28%†167
$250k–400k19%†113

Age of homes

1,202 homes (±155)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

2010 or later5.0%†60
2000–200911%†136
1980–199947%568

Size of homes

1,202 homes (±155)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Studio3.5%†42
1 bedroom6.6%†79
2 bedrooms40%486

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

544 workers (±129)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone72%392
Carpool15%†84
Public transit3.3%†18
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.6%†3
Work from home7.4%†40
Other1.3%†7

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

504 workers (±124)

Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under 15 min9.1%†46
15–29 min56%†280
30–44 min22%†110

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marion County, the county holding most of Bull Shoals's residents.

Marion County has 246 employer establishments, 141 for every 10,000 residents (0.57× the US rate of 248; 0.61× Arkansas's), with 2,761 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,354. The Census Bureau also counts 1,382 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 246; 1,382 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 141; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 2,761
Average annual pay: $38,354; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	25	14.3	0.92×About typical	58	$41,310	156
Restaurants and other eating places	16	9.1	0.50×Fewer than typical	157	$17,567	3
Ambulatory health care services	14	8	0.38×Fewer than typical	56	$45,018	69
Building equipment contractors	14	8	1.33×More than typical	39	$45,795	32
Religious organizations	14	8	1.44×More than typical	27	$18,481	—
Banks and credit unions	11	6.3	1.95×More than typical	84	$62,036	—
Offices of other health practitioners	11	6.3	1.03×About typical	39	$37,462	16
Lessors of real estate	10	5.7	0.46×Fewer than typical	20	$22,400	95
Construction of buildings	8	4.6	0.60×Too few to compare	29	$46,655	78
Full-service restaurants	8	4.6	0.60×Too few to compare	75	$17,453	—
Truck transportation	8	4.6	0.90×Too few to compare	40	$38,575	33
Individual and family services	7	4	1.43×Too few to compare	56	$22,125	5

Rank places for an industry Open Marion County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,492 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $63.6K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Bull Shoals, Arkansas: $37.92 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $63.6K
Per resident: $37.92; US $2,007
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$63.6K100%

Top recipients

GARCO WEMCO A JOINT VENTURE$63.6K100%

Spending by fiscal year

1.8MFY2017
4.9MFY2018
122.9KFY2019
221.8KFY2020
2.3MFY2021
2.2MFY2022
861KFY2023
6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$63.6K100%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Bull Shoals, Arkansas

TASK ORDER ISSUED UNDER SWT'S CRANE MATOC. REQUIREMENT IS FOR SWL'S BULLS SHOALS BRIDGE CRANE REHABILITATION. COMPLETION IS EXPECTED NLT 729 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF NOTICE TO PROCEED.$6M
GARCO WEMCO A JOINT VENTURE· Marion County, AR· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 21, 2023 – Feb 9, 2026· W9127S24F0004

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, so they do not add up across cities.

Bull Shoals, Arkansas's figures are part of those of Marion County, AR ($1.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Bull Shoals is mostly in Marion County.

See federal money in Marion County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Bull Shoals, Arkansas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Eric A. "Rick" CrawfordR-AR-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 2.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marion County9100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Marion County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0509790

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends