Scores by category

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

Safety58#391/924
Economy30#646/925
Housing88#110/925
Health20#744/925
Healthcare20#735/923
Environment71#271/917
Education29#656/925
Infrastructure27#679/925
Community8#847/925
Leisure & amenities47#490/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Arkansas 7.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low25.2%
89/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Grocery stores · high2.2 /10k
86/100Arkansas 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · low11.0%
85/100Arkansas 19.6%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Effective property tax rate · low0.50%
84/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Severe housing problems · low11.2%
82/100Arkansas 13.2%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low47.2%
5/100Arkansas 63.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$933
8/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Public EV charging ports · low1.1 /10k
9/100Arkansas 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-2.5%
10/100Arkansas -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Bachelor's degree or higher · low17.0%
10/100Arkansas 25.7%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median household income · low$54,384
12/100Arkansas $62,146United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 63% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+63 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
0.6 /1k (2021) → 2.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+281%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Homicide rateImproving
9.3 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Violent crime rateImproving
630 /100k (2020) → 267 /100k (2025)
−58%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Child poverty rateImproving
22.1% (2015-2019) → 11.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Mammography screeningImproving
37.3% (2019) → 46.8% (2023)
+9.5 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%

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, Harrison, AR micropolitan area improved on 10 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 6 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

Child poverty−11 points22.1% → 11.0%
Homicides−100%6.0 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Violent crime−58%630 /100k → 267 /100k
Broadband+9.1 points77.5% → 86.6%
New businesses+43%7.5 /1k → 10.7 /1k

Declined5

Suicides+36%15.2 /100k → 20.6 /100k
Firearm deaths+33%13.3 /100k → 17.6 /100k
Restaurants−11%7.9 /10k → 7.0 /10k
Price / income+0.7×2.7× → 3.4×
Pharmacies−16%1.6 /10k → 1.3 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Harrison, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.1 /10k2020	3.3 /10k2025	+4.6%	Little change	39%
Average commute time	21.6 min2015-2019	22.1 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	48%
Average weekly wage	$7942020	$9332025	+18%	Improved	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.9%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Broadband subscriptions	77.5%2015-2019	86.6%2020-2024	+9.1 points	Improved	52%
Child poverty rate	22.1%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	97%
Distance to an airport	66 mi2020	66 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	83%
Effective property tax rate	0.57%2015-2019	0.51%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Firearm deaths	13.3 /100k2020	17.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+33%	Declined	17%
Grocery stores	2.2 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	−2.4%	Little change	41%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−2.4%	Little change	34%
High school diploma or higher	87.2%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	29%
Homicide rate	6.0 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$42,5582019	$55,5252024	+30%	Improved	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4372015-2019	0.4312020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	72%
Median household income	$44,5622015-2019	$54,3842020-2024	+22%	Improved	22%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	10.7 /1k2025	+43%	Improved	45%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	29%
Poverty rate	14.9%2015-2019	12.4%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Property crime rate	1,132 /100k2020	832 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	34%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−0.5%	Little change	59%
Rent as share of income	26.1%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent-burdened households	37.7%2015-2019	41.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Restaurants and bars	7.9 /10k2020	7.0 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	11%
Suicide rate	15.2 /100k2020	20.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+36%	Declined	13%
Traffic deaths	23.8 /100k2015-2019	22.9 /100k2020-2024	−3.9%	Little change	70%
Unemployment rate	5.3%2020	4.2%2025	−1.1 points	Improved	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.3%2015-2019	10.0%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Violent crime rate	630 /100k2020	267 /100k2025	−58%	Improved	97%

“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 Harrison, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Harrison, 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, Harrison, AR micropolitan area itself moved −0.7 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

45,250 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

18,542 households (±451)

Harrison, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%3,644
$25k–50k26%4,835
$50k–75k19%3,605

Homes

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

Owners and renters

18,542 households (±451)

Harrison, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%13,311
Rent28%5,231

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

19,352 workers (±873)

Harrison, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%14,421
Carpool11%2,215
Public transit0.1%†15

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 Harrison, 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.

Harrison, AR has 1,001 employer establishments, 220 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248), with 13,231 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,785. The Census Bureau also counts 4,237 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,001; 4,237 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 220; US 248
Paid employees: 13,231
Average annual pay: $44,785; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	121	26.6	1.27×More than typical	1,354	$63,390	189
Restaurants and other eating places	67	14.7	0.80×About typical	1,221	$19,735	9
Specialty trade contractors	56	12.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	459	$56,007	525
Religious organizations	48	10.5	1.90×More than typical	208	$26,149	—
Offices of other health practitioners	38	8.3	1.37×More than typical	183	$52,000	72
Offices of physicians	38	8.3	1.29×More than typical	644	$66,301	23
Lessors of real estate	36	7.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	107	$24,738	289
Truck transportation	31	6.8	1.35×More than typical	347	$51,176	156
Full-service restaurants	30	6.6	0.86×About typical	505	$22,152	4
Services to buildings and dwellings	26	5.7	0.85×About typical	307	$45,541	349
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	5.5	1.09×About typical	127	$46,165	97
Limited-service restaurants	24	5.3	0.66×Fewer than typical	615	$18,166	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 45,558 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 $656.4K on contracts performed in Harrison, AR micropolitan area: $14.38 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $656.4K; −45% vs FY2025
Per resident: $14.38; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.3%; 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

Federal Bureau of Investigation$550K84%
Defense Logistics Agency$327.2K50%
National Park Service$292.5K45%
Federal Communications Commission$5,1920.8%
Department of State$3,9560.6%
Department of the Army$1,5750.2%

Top recipients

FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION$550K84%
GFI INC$327.2K50%
WASTE CONNECTIONS OF ARKANSAS, INC.$76.8K12%
AMERICAN CLASSIC CONSTRUCTION INC.$76.2K12%
MCM TREE SERVICES, LLC$55.3K8.4%

Spending by fiscal year

2.6MFY2017
3.9MFY2018
5.8MFY2019
14.8MFY2020
4.1MFY2021
6.1MFY2022
1.4MFY2023
1.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Couriers and express delivery services · 4921$550K84%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$305.4K47%
Waste collection · 5621$76.8K12%
Other wood product manufacturing · 3219$76.2K12%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$68.5K10%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$51.3K

Largest awards

TYLER BEND SEWER AND LAUNCH RENOVATIONS$907K
SOUTHEAST CONSTRUCTORS INC· Boone County, AR· Construction & real property· Jun 24, 2024 – Feb 12, 2026· 140P6224C0004
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO FUND THE FBI'S USE OF THE FEDEX FREIGHT DOJ IDIQ SCHEDULE, 15JPSS24D00000254.$515K
FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION· Boone County, AR· Transportation & logistics· Sep 26, 2025 – Sep 29, 2026· 15F06725F0001780
SOLID WASTE SERVICES - NEW/OPTION YEAR$450K
WASTE CONNECTIONS OF ARKANSAS, INC.· Boone County, AR· Facilities & utilities· Apr 17, 2023 – Jun 15, 2026· 140P6223P0024
COMMUNITY NURSING HOME SERVICES - 10-01-2023 TO 09-30-2024

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 $355.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Harrison, AR micropolitan area: $7,793 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $355.8M; −11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,793; US $12,955
Loan face value: $24.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 3.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$206.1M58%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$44.3M12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$37M10%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$19.7M5.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.6M3.0%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$5.4M1.5%
10.109 · Livestock Forage Disaster Program$4.8M1.4%
93.600 · Head Start$3.3M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

NORTHWEST REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY$3.8M1.1%
HARRISON, AR
OZARK OPPORTUNITIES INC$3.3M0.9%
HARRISON, AR
NORTH ARKANSAS COLLEGE$3.3M0.9%
HARRISON, AR
SOUTHERN AIRWAYS EXPRESS LLC$3.2M0.9%
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
HARRISON MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITY INC$2.3M

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$280.8M79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$41.9M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$7.1M2.0%
Department of Agriculture
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$5.8M1.6%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Assistance by fiscal year

317MFY2021
321.4MFY2022
352.3MFY2023
343.3MFY2024
401.2MFY2025
355.8MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

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 Harrison, 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.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

HarrisonPrincipal city13,350

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/M25460

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Harrison, 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 Harrison, 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 programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought