City · Columbia County, Arkansas

Waldo, Arkansas

Waldo is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, part of the Magnolia, AR metro area. It has 1,144 residents. Waldo, Arkansas has a quality-of-life score of 8 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,409 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Arkansas it ranks #160 of 218 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), home price to income ratio (low) and homicide rate (low). It ranks worst on voter turnout (low), broadband subscriptions (low) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

8Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,409 of 15,651 cities and towns
Arkansas: #160 of 218 in AR
Population: 1,144 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 521.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 0572350

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety22#12,252/15,637
Economy8#14,439/15,631
Housing97#508/14,977
Health10#14,078/15,609
Healthcare8#14,454/15,650
Environment18#12,718/15,453
Education13#13,688/15,649
Infrastructure3#15,135/15,650
Community13#13,660/15,651
Leisure & amenities41#9,195/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Effective property tax rate · low0.30%
97/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Home price to income ratio · low1.5×
95/100Arkansas 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Arkansas 7.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataColumbia County value
Social associations · high15.4 /10k
92/100Arkansas 11.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColumbia County value
Rent-burdened households · low28.7%
91/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070High uncertainty
Rent as share of income · low25.7%
85/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low46.3%
2/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionColumbia County value
Broadband subscriptions · low57.6%
2/100Arkansas 86.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Bachelor's degree or higher · low4.8%
2/100Arkansas 25.7%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003High uncertainty
Distance to an emergency room · high23.1 mi
2/100Arkansas 7.3 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesColumbia County value
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Arkansas 12.9United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationColumbia County value
Violent crime rate · high641 /100k
4/100Arkansas 532 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationColumbia County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,208 (2015-2019) → 1,144 (2020-2024)
−5.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
67.4% (2015-2019) → 28.7% (2020-2024)
−39 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
59.4% (2015-2019) → 28.3% (2020-2024)
−31 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Average commute timeWorsening
19.0 min (2015-2019) → 40.1 min (2020-2024)
+111%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Poverty rateImproving
38.9% (2015-2019) → 23.7% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
39.4% (2015-2019) → 25.7% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

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, Waldo, Arkansas improved on 0 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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 8 measures

Change of every measure of Waldo, Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	68.5%2015-2019	57.6%2020-2024	−11 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Effective property tax rate	0.74%2015-2019	0.30%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	87%
High school diploma or higher	80.0%2015-2019	84.3%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4452015-2019	0.4332020-2024	−0.012	Within the margin of error	62%
Median household income	$29,0792015-2019	$40,5002020-2024	+39%	Within the margin of error	73%
Poverty rate	38.9%2015-2019	23.7%2020-2024	−15 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	39.4%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	−14 points	Within the margin of error	96%

“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 Waldo, Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Waldo, 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, Waldo, Arkansas itself moved +14.7 points in standing on average over the same 6 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

1,144 residents (±345)

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: 50–59 men (−8.2 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,144 residents (±345)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

White27%†304
Black71%†816
Hispanic or Latino1.8%†21
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.3%†3

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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

907 residents (±271)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

No high school diploma16%†142
High school or GED47%†425
Some college23%†213
Associate degree9.2%†83
Bachelor's degree4.2%†38
Graduate degree0.7%†6

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bachelor's degree (−9.5 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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

486 households (±145)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k36%†177
$25k–50k24%†115
$50k–75k16%†76
$75k–100k18%†86
$100k–150k5.4%†26
$150k–200k1.2%†6
$200k or more0.0%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 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

486 households (±145)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own80%†390
Rent20%†96

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

96 households (±59)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $75075%†72
$750–1,00019%†18
$1,000–1,5006.3%†6

Home values

390 homes (±141)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $150k74%†287
$150k–250k13%†51
$250k–400k10%†39

Age of homes

695 homes (±161)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

2010 or later8.3%†58
2000–200914%†95
1980–199919%†131

Size of homes

695 homes (±161)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Studio1.3%†9
1 bedroom2.2%†15
2 bedrooms29%†199

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

422 workers (±186)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone82%†346
Carpool16%†67
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home2.1%†9
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

413 workers (±185)

Waldo, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under 15 min17%†69
15–29 min36%†150
30–44 min6.1%†25

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 Magnolia, 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 Columbia County, the county holding most of Waldo's residents.

Columbia County has 535 employer establishments, 241 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248; 1.05× Arkansas's), with 6,677 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,904. The Census Bureau also counts 1,590 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 535; 1,590 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 241; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 6,677
Average annual pay: $48,904; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	38	17.1	0.93×About typical	616	$19,234	6
Ambulatory health care services	36	16.2	0.78×Fewer than typical	222	$47,788	173
Truck transportation	31	14	2.76×More than typical	182	$59,610	64
Religious organizations	27	12.2	2.19×More than typical	124	$24,911	—
Limited-service restaurants	23	10.4	1.29×More than typical	501	$19,910	3
Specialty trade contractors	17	7.7	0.49×Fewer than typical	75	$45,133	106
Banks and credit unions	14	6.3	1.95×More than typical	200	$55,965	—
Gasoline stations	14	6.3	1.95×More than typical	124	$18,540	4
Clothing and accessories stores	12	5.4	1.49×More than typical	87	$18,218	22
Lessors of real estate	12	5.4	0.44×Fewer than typical	18	$29,833	123
Services to buildings and dwellings	12	5.4	0.80×About typical	122	$25,000	137
Building equipment contractors	11	5	0.82×About typical	53	$45,358	24

Rank places for an industry Open Columbia County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 22,192 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Columbia 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.

Waldo, 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.

Columbia County18100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Magnolia, AR13

Other cities and towns in Columbia 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

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