Scores by category

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

Safety23#711/924
Economy5#877/925
Housing87#117/925
Health11#819/925
Healthcare25#696/923
Environment14#792/917
Education29#655/925
Infrastructure7#864/925
Community18#760/925
Leisure & amenities45#507/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low31.1%
99/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Gyms and fitness centers · high1.8 /10k
94/100Arkansas 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated 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
Rent as share of income · low24.8%
91/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Social associations · high15.4 /10k
89/100Arkansas 11.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.46%
89/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high23.1 mi
2/100Arkansas 7.3 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · high35.3%
3/100Arkansas 19.6%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Voter turnout · low46.3%
3/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high641 /100k
4/100Arkansas 532 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · low80.3%
5/100Arkansas 86.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
New homes permitted · low0.2 /1k
5/100Arkansas 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
11% (2021) → 66% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+54 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Traffic deathsWorsening
12.6 /100k (2015-2019) → 26.8 /100k (2020-2024)
+113%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.9 /10k (2020) → 1.8 /10k (2025)
+108%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Homicide rateImproving
15.4 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.5% (2015-2019) → 80.3% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
43.8% (2015-2019) → 31.1% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Magnolia, AR micropolitan area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved12

Gyms+108%0.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Household income+53%$36,193 → $55,334
Rent burden−13 points43.8% → 31.1%
Broadband+18 points62.5% → 80.3%
Homicides−100%17.8 /100k → 0.0 /100k

Declined6

Traffic deaths+113%12.6 /100k → 26.8 /100k
Commute+5.1 min17.2 min → 22.3 min
Violent crime+58%406 /100k → 641 /100k
Restaurants−14%7.5 /10k → 6.4 /10k
Overdose deaths+11%12.7 /100k → 14.1 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Magnolia, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.2 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+3.9%	Little change	37%
Average commute time	17.2 min2015-2019	22.3 min2020-2024	+5.1 min	Declined	0%
Average weekly wage	$8042020	$9762025	+21%	Improved	33%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.6%2015-2019	21.9%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Broadband subscriptions	62.5%2015-2019	80.3%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	95%
Child poverty rate	35.2%2015-2019	35.3%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Distance to an airport	117 mi2020	117 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	22%
Drug overdose deaths	12.7 /100k2020	14.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+11%	Declined	21%
Effective property tax rate	0.60%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	52%
Firearm deaths	29.1 /100k2020	23.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−20%	Improved	82%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+3.9%	Little change	65%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+108%	Improved	97%
High school diploma or higher	85.9%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	45%
Homicide rate	17.8 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,2932019	$59,9632024	+32%	Improved	56%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4972015-2019	0.4762020-2024	−0.022	Within the margin of error	91%
Median household income	$36,1932015-2019	$55,3342020-2024	+53%	Improved	99%
New business applications	9.1 /1k2020	12.9 /1k2025	+42%	Improved	44%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	27%
Poverty rate	25.0%2015-2019	21.1%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Property crime rate	2,213 /100k2020	1,632 /100k2025	−26%	Improved	34%
Public libraries	0.9 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	+6.7%	Improved	88%
Rent as share of income	27.5%2015-2019	24.8%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent-burdened households	43.8%2015-2019	31.1%2020-2024	−13 points	Improved	99%
Restaurants and bars	7.5 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	6%
Suicide rate	18.1 /100k2020	18.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.2%	Little change	56%
Traffic deaths	12.6 /100k2015-2019	26.8 /100k2020-2024	+113%	Declined	1%
Unemployment rate	6.8%2020	4.8%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.5%2015-2019	9.0%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Violent crime rate	406 /100k2020	641 /100k2025	+58%	Declined	3%

“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 Magnolia, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Magnolia, 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, Magnolia, AR micropolitan area itself moved +0.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

22,349 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

8,409 households (±330)

Magnolia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k27%2,303
$25k–50k21%1,737
$50k–75k17%1,432

Homes

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

Owners and renters

8,409 households (±330)

Magnolia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own71%5,948
Rent29%2,461

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

9,572 workers (±471)

Magnolia, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%7,732
Carpool8.0%762
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 Magnolia, 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.

Magnolia, AR has 535 employer establishments, 241 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 6,677
Average annual pay: $48,904; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Magnolia, AR 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

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.
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 $13.1M on contracts performed in Magnolia, AR micropolitan area: $598 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $13.1M; −61% vs FY2025
Per resident: $598; US $1,994
Sole-source: 7.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 30%; 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$13.1M100%

Top recipients

AMERICAN FUEL CELL AND COATED FABRICS COMPANY, LLC$13.1M100%

Spending by fiscal year

5.4MFY2017
18MFY2018
17MFY2019
6.3MFY2020
6.5MFY2021
7.2MFY2022
10.9MFY2023
17.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$13.1M99.8%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$24.5K0.2%
Rubber product manufacturing · 3262$15.7K0.1%
Paint, coating, and adhesive manufacturing · 3255$14.4K0.1%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$4,0850.0%

Largest awards

8506003935!CELL,FUEL,AIRCRAFT,$5.5M
AMERICAN FUEL CELL AND COATED FABRICS COMPANY, LLC· Columbia County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Oct 30, 2018 – May 5, 2026· SPE4A719C0066
FUEL CELL$3.7M
AMERICAN FUEL CELL AND COATED FABRICS COMPANY, LLC· Columbia County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 22, 2026 – Apr 22, 2026· SPRTA126F0199
FUEL CELL$2.9M
AMERICAN FUEL CELL AND COATED FABRICS COMPANY, LLC· Columbia County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 22, 2026 – Apr 22, 2026· SPRTA126F0201
8511623940!TANK,FUEL,AIRCRAFT

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 $172M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Magnolia, AR micropolitan area: $7,854 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $172M; −2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,854; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$81.8M48%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$20.3M12%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$13.3M7.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$11.8M6.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.5M6.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$8.1M4.7%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$7.9M4.6%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$6.8M3.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$14.7M8.5%
LITTLE ROCK, AR
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY$13.8M8.0%
MAGNOLIA, AR
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY$1.3M0.8%
MAGNOLIA, AR
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA$917.7K0.5%
MAGNOLIA, AR
STEPHENS HOUSING AUTHORITY

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$120.7M70%
Department of Education$15.1M8.8%
Federal Highway Administration$14.7M8.5%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$14.2M8.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Natural Resources Conservation Service$2.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

151.4MFY2021
133.2MFY2022
142.8MFY2023
159.6MFY2024
175.4MFY2025
172MFY2026

County aggregates

79%

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 Magnolia, 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.

Columbia CountyCentral county1821,894

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MagnoliaPrincipal city10,894

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Magnolia, 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 Magnolia, 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

Improved12

Declined6

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