Scores by category

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

Safety6#14,667/15,637
Economy5#14,896/15,631
Housing100#49/14,977
Health5#14,816/15,609
Healthcare28#11,272/15,650
Environment23#11,867/15,453
Education31#10,825/15,649
Infrastructure25#11,790/15,650
Community9#14,263/15,651
Leisure & amenities79#3,333/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Piney, Arkansas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Garland 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

Arts, entertainment and recreation · high9.7 /10k
95/100Arkansas 3.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarland County value
Rent-burdened households · low32.2%
95/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Average commute time · low15.9 min
95/100Arkansas 22.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Rent as share of income · low23.4%
94/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Effective property tax rate · low0.44%
92/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Restaurants and bars · high13.0 /10k
91/100Arkansas 7.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarland County value

Weaknesses

Frequent mental distress · high22.2%
5/100Arkansas 20.7%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Food environment index · low6.2
5/100Arkansas 4.6United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGarland County value
Poor or fair health · high30.7%
5/100Arkansas 25.5%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Average weekly wage · low$906
6/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarland County value
Adult smoking · high22.1%
6/100Arkansas 18.7%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Premature death · high13,802 /100k
7/100Arkansas 11,156 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGarland County value

Trends

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

Rent-burdened householdsImproving
55.0% (2015-2019) → 32.2% (2020-2024)
−23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
35.9% (2015-2019) → 23.4% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateWorsening
28.7% (2015-2019) → 35.9% (2020-2024)
+7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateWorsening
21.7% (2015-2019) → 28.5% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
91.2% (2015-2019) → 85.7% (2020-2024)
−5.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$40,302 (2015-2019) → $50,901 (2020-2024)
+26%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Piney, Arkansas improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 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.

Improved1

Inequality−0.0850.475 → 0.390

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Piney, Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	15.8 min2020-2024	−0.9 min	Within the margin of error	58%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.7%2015-2019	19.0%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Broadband subscriptions	79.2%2015-2019	79.1%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Child poverty rate	28.7%2015-2019	35.9%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Effective property tax rate	0.59%2015-2019	0.44%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	47%
High school diploma or higher	91.2%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	−5.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	64%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4752015-2019	0.3902020-2024	−0.085	Improved	93%
Median household income	$40,3022015-2019	$50,9012020-2024	+26%	Within the margin of error	47%
Poverty rate	21.7%2015-2019	28.5%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	35.9%2015-2019	23.4%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	96%
Rent-burdened households	55.0%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	−23 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.9%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Within the margin of error	87%

“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 Piney, Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Piney, 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, Piney, Arkansas itself moved +13.7 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

4,458 residents (±785)

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: 10–19 men (+5.0 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

4,458 residents (±785)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

White81%3,594
Black6.3%†283
Hispanic or Latino8.2%†364

Education

3,131 residents (±448)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

No high school diploma14%†448
High school or GED33%1,043
Some college21%†669

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

1,856 households (±297)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k23%†427
$25k–50k25%†470
$50k–75k28%†517
$75k–100k12%†230
$100k–150k5.9%†110
$150k–200k4.0%†74
$200k or more1.5%†28

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (+13.4 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 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

1,856 households (±297)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own53%990
Rent47%†866

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

820 households (±260)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $75010%†84
$750–1,00043%†353
$1,000–1,50040%†327

Home values

990 homes (±197)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $150k56%†550
$150k–250k23%†230
$250k–400k8.7%†86

Age of homes

2,381 homes (±249)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

2010 or later12%†274
2000–200917%†406
1980–199935%828

Size of homes

2,381 homes (±249)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Studio2.4%†56
1 bedroom8.0%†190
2 bedrooms33%796

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

2,065 workers (±350)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone84%1,740
Carpool5.7%†118
Public transit0.0%0
Walk3.1%†63
Bike0.0%0
Work from home7.0%†144
Other0.0%0

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

1,921 workers (±302)

Piney, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under 15 min43%†819
15–29 min42%800
30–44 min10%†195

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Hot Springs, AR

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 Garland County, the county holding most of Piney's residents.

Garland County has 2,953 employer establishments, 296 for every 10,000 residents (1.19× the US rate of 248; 1.29× Arkansas's), with 35,325 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,572. The Census Bureau also counts 8,931 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,953; 8,931 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 296; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 35,325
Average annual pay: $42,572; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	330	33.1	1.59×More than typical	3,608	$69,260	528
Specialty trade contractors	244	24.5	1.58×More than typical	1,596	$48,394	830
Restaurants and other eating places	234	23.5	1.28×More than typical	4,368	$21,830	47
Lessors of real estate	143	14.3	1.16×About typical	387	$37,661	971
Offices of physicians	131	13.1	2.03×More than typical	1,815	$92,274	85
Building equipment contractors	116	11.6	1.93×More than typical	711	$47,077	135
Full-service restaurants	108	10.8	1.41×More than typical	2,345	$24,334	24
Offices of other health practitioners	105	10.5	1.73×More than typical	385	$45,642	187
Limited-service restaurants	94	9.4	1.17×About typical	1,820	$18,257	12
Services to buildings and dwellings	89	8.9	1.32×More than typical	598	$25,000	795
Religious organizations	83	8.3	1.50×More than typical	518	$25,940	—
Construction of buildings	81	8.1	1.07×About typical	240	$49,554	440

Rank places for an industry Open Garland County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 99,772 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 $164.6K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Piney, Arkansas: $36.92 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $164.6K; −95% vs FY2025
Per resident: $36.92; US $1,995
Sole-source: 77%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.8%; US 8.8%

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 State$84.4K51%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$37.5K23%
Department of the Army$26.1K16%
Defense Logistics Agency$12.6K7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$3,4022.1%
U.S. Secret Service$5950.4%

Top recipients

CGI FEDERAL INC.$84.4K51%
SIGMA SUPPLY OF NORTH AMERICA LLC$37.5K23%
HR CONTROL SOLUTIONS LLC$16.5K10%
SMALL PARTS INC$12.3K7.5%
B & F ENGINEERING INC$9,5425.8%

Spending by fiscal year

572.1KFY2017
1.7MFY2018
2.8MFY2019
2.7MFY2020
2.6MFY2021
3.1MFY2022
4.3MFY2023
5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other support services · 5619$84.4K51%
Converted paper product manufacturing · 3222$37.5K23%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$16.5K10%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$9,5425.8%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$7,0924.3%
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing · 3254

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 Piney, Arkansas, so they do not add up across cities.

Piney, Arkansas's figures are part of those of Garland County, AR ($44.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.4% of that total.

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

See federal money in Garland 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.

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

House

Bruce WestermanR-AR-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 0.4%

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.

Garland County31100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Hot Springs, AR28

Other cities and towns in Garland 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
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/0555610

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends