Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety48#480/924
Economy4#889/925
Housing42#533/925
Health12#817/925
Healthcare40#552/923
Environment43#527/917
Education41#545/925
Infrastructure27#673/925
Community24#706/925
Leisure & amenities14#792/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
97/100Arkansas 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Social associations · high16.5 /10k
94/100Arkansas 11.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
93/100Arkansas 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Arkansas 7.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.47%
88/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Median Air Quality Index · low34
86/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.5 /10k
1/100Arkansas 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · low46.3%
3/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high34.1 /100k
4/100Arkansas 20.8 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$910
5/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Access to exercise opportunities · low48.4%
5/100Arkansas 63.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.3 /1k
6/100Arkansas 4.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
17% (2021) → 74% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+58 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateImproving
8.5 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.1 /1k (2021) → 0.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−86%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
68.6% (2015-2019) → 83.9% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
46.0% (2019) → 33.0% (2023)
−13 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
New business applicationsImproving
7.5 /1k (2020) → 10.8 /1k (2025)
+44%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

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, Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area improved on 10 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 10 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Homicides−100%10.2 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Pharmacies+23%2.3 /10k → 2.9 /10k
Broadband+15 points68.6% → 83.9%
Libraries+6.7%0.9 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Violent crime−27%408 /100k → 298 /100k

Declined5

Inequality+0.0480.432 → 0.480
Arts & recreation−27%3.3 /10k → 2.4 /10k
Restaurants−18%7.0 /10k → 5.7 /10k
Traffic deaths+42%24.1 /100k → 34.1 /100k
Gyms−23%1.9 /10k → 1.4 /10k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.3 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	3%
Average commute time	20.8 min2015-2019	21.4 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	40%
Average weekly wage	$7612020	$9102025	+20%	Improved	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.6%2015-2019	26.2%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Broadband subscriptions	68.6%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	91%
Child poverty rate	25.6%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Distance to an airport	67 mi2020	67 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	0.58%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Grocery stores	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+2.2%	Little change	60%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.9 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	17%
High school diploma or higher	90.0%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	69%
Homicide rate	10.2 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,6512019	$56,3972024	+24%	Improved	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4322015-2019	0.4802020-2024	+0.048	Declined	2%
Median household income	$41,6202015-2019	$52,0342020-2024	+25%	Improved	39%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	10.8 /1k2025	+44%	Improved	48%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	20.3%2015-2019	21.6%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Property crime rate	1,757 /100k2020	1,111 /100k2025	−37%	Improved	58%
Public libraries	0.9 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	+6.7%	Improved	88%
Rent as share of income	28.6%2015-2019	29.0%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Rent-burdened households	47.4%2015-2019	48.2%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Restaurants and bars	7.0 /10k2020	5.7 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	5%
Traffic deaths	24.1 /100k2015-2019	34.1 /100k2020-2024	+42%	Declined	10%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	4.7%2025	−0.8 points	Little change	3%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.1%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Violent crime rate	408 /100k2020	298 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	69%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area 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, Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area itself moved −6.6 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

21,125 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

8,121 households (±227)

Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k26%2,086
$25k–50k23%1,872
$50k–75k18%1,461

Homes

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

Owners and renters

8,121 households (±227)

Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own65%5,278
Rent35%2,843

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+7.5 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

9,443 workers (±487)

Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%7,194
Carpool9.9%933
Public transit0.4%†40

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 no occupation wages for Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area.

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.

Arkadelphia, AR has 540 employer establishments, 258 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248), with 6,973 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,493. The Census Bureau also counts 1,461 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 540; 1,461 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 258; US 248
Paid employees: 6,973
Average annual pay: $45,493; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	45	21.5	1.03×About typical	304	$45,056	66
Religious organizations	35	16.8	3.02×More than typical	137	$17,124	—
Restaurants and other eating places	35	16.8	0.91×About typical	710	$16,551	8
Truck transportation	26	12.4	2.46×More than typical	75	$46,067	33
Lessors of real estate	23	11	0.89×About typical	54	$15,833	113
Limited-service restaurants	21	10.1	1.25×More than typical	466	$16,253	5
Legal services	17	8.1	1.51×More than typical	134	$60,045	8
Offices of other health practitioners	15	7.2	1.18×About typical	31	$35,548	25
Automotive repair and maintenance	13	6.2	1.24×About typical	39	$37,154	30
Banks and credit unions	13	6.2	1.93×More than typical	171	$68,357	—
Gasoline stations	12	5.7	1.77×More than typical	220	$25,364	—
Full-service restaurants	11	5.3	0.69×Fewer than typical	225	$17,996	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 20,891 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $222.4K on contracts performed in Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area: $10.62 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $222.4K; −51% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10.62; US $1,994
Sole-source: 98%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.8%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$218.4K98%
Forest Service$4,0281.8%

Top recipients

SGL COMPOSITES INC$218.4K98%
OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY$4,0281.8%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
578KFY2018
410.3KFY2019
355.6KFY2020
2MFY2021
4.5MFY2022
202KFY2023
426.5K

Top industries (NAICS)

Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$218.4K98%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$4,0281.8%

Largest awards

8512015353!INSULATION BLANKET,$87.9K
SGL COMPOSITES INC· Clark County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 1, 2026 – Apr 1, 2026· SPE4A726F4804
8511713239!INSULATION BLANKET,$58K
SGL COMPOSITES INC· Clark County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Oct 21, 2025 – Nov 13, 2025· SPE4A626F1306
8511658992!INSULATION BLANKET,$21.6K
SGL COMPOSITES INC· Clark County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 22, 2025 – Nov 13, 2025· SPE4A625F447Q
MEAN-ODEN RANGER DISTRICT, OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST BIRD-POINTS SURVEY

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $139.1M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area: $6,644 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $139.1M; −18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,644; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$76.4M55%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$15.4M11%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$13M9.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$9.2M6.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$8.2M5.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$4.7M3.4%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$1.8M1.3%
10.912 · Environmental Quality Incentives Program$1.5M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY$8M5.8%
ARKADELPHIA, AR
OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY$3.7M2.7%
ARKADELPHIA, AR
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CITY OF ARKADELPHIA$1.1M0.8%
ARKADELPHIA, AR
JAMANI HOLDINGS LP$517.5K0.4%
JONESBORO, AR
CITY OF ARKADELPHIA - TOWN HALL$382.6K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$104.6M75%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$15M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$11.5M8.3%
Railroad Retirement Board$1.8M1.3%
Natural Resources Conservation Service$1.5M1.1%

Assistance by fiscal year

147.3MFY2021
148.8MFY2022
152.7MFY2023
136.4MFY2024
169.8MFY2025
139.1MFY2026

County aggregates

88%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Arkadelphia, AR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Clark CountyCentral county2220,938

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ArkadelphiaPrincipal city10,099

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Areas based in Arkansas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11660

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Arkadelphia, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Arkadelphia, AR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type