Scores by category

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

Safety15#788/924
Economy13#809/925
Housing59#380/925
Health18#756/925
Healthcare22#718/923
Environment11#814/917
Education18#759/925
Infrastructure35#597/925
Community20#739/925
Leisure & amenities10#837/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.47%
87/100Arkansas 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
Public libraries · high1.1 /10k
79/100Arkansas 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low11.6 /100k
72/100Arkansas 10.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
High ozone days · low0 days
71/100Arkansas 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high76 /100k
70/100Arkansas 69 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low43.5%
3/100Arkansas 63.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · high96%
4/100Arkansas 78%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$913
6/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mammography screening · low34.0%
6/100Arkansas 43.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low0.9 /10k
7/100Arkansas 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,104 /100k
7/100Arkansas 3,115 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 96% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+96 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.9% (2015-2019) → 87.2% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Traffic deathsWorsening
15.7 /100k (2015-2019) → 23.9 /100k (2020-2024)
+52%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
51.0% (2019) → 41.0% (2023)
−10 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Property crime rateImproving
2,638 /100k (2020) → 1,435 /100k (2025)
−46%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
New homes permittedImproving
2.1 /1k (2021) → 2.9 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+42%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /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, Searcy, AR micropolitan area improved on 13 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 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.

Improved13

Suicides−27%22.1 /100k → 16.2 /100k
Firearm deaths−37%26.0 /100k → 16.5 /100k
Broadband+11 points75.9% → 87.2%
Restaurants+8.2%6.1 /10k → 6.6 /10k
Property crime−46%2,638 /100k → 1,435 /100k

Declined4

Traffic deaths+52%15.7 /100k → 23.9 /100k
Pharmacies−34%2.5 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Grocery stores−21%1.4 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Uninsured+2 points9.7% → 11.7%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Searcy, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−4%	Little change	22%
Average commute time	24.5 min2015-2019	22.4 min2020-2024	−2.1 min	Within the margin of error	96%
Average weekly wage	$7792020	$9132025	+17%	Improved	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.9%2015-2019	20.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Broadband subscriptions	75.9%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	73%
Child poverty rate	20.2%2015-2019	21.0%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Distance to an airport	44 mi2020	44 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.2 /100k2020	11.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−36%	Improved	65%
Effective property tax rate	0.46%2015-2019	0.47%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Firearm deaths	26.0 /100k2020	16.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	95%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	8%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	61%
High school diploma or higher	84.4%2015-2019	87.1%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	78%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,0442019	$58,0942024	+32%	Improved	53%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4612015-2019	0.4522020-2024	−0.009	Within the margin of error	77%
Median household income	$44,0292015-2019	$55,2492020-2024	+25%	Improved	42%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	10.4 /1k2025	+39%	Improved	40%
Pharmacies	2.5 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−34%	Declined	6%
Poverty rate	15.7%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Property crime rate	2,638 /100k2020	1,435 /100k2025	−46%	Improved	78%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	−0.6%	Little change	58%
Rent as share of income	28.2%2015-2019	29.7%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Rent-burdened households	46.8%2015-2019	49.1%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Restaurants and bars	6.1 /10k2020	6.6 /10k2025	+8.2%	Improved	75%
Suicide rate	22.1 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−27%	Improved	90%
Traffic deaths	15.7 /100k2015-2019	23.9 /100k2020-2024	+52%	Declined	6%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	4.1%2025	−2.4 points	Improved	33%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.7%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	+2 points	Declined	8%
Violent crime rate	638 /100k2020	502 /100k2025	−21%	Improved	60%

“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 Searcy, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Searcy, 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, Searcy, AR micropolitan area itself moved −1.1 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

77,838 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

29,629 households (±598)

Searcy, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k22%6,436
$25k–50k23%6,760
$50k–75k19%5,562

Homes

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

Owners and renters

29,629 households (±598)

Searcy, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%20,482
Rent31%9,147

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

32,527 workers (±833)

Searcy, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%26,803
Carpool9.7%3,163
Public transit0.4%†140

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 Searcy, 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.

Searcy, AR has 1,637 employer establishments, 209 for every 10,000 residents (0.84× the US rate of 248), with 23,543 paid employees at an average annual pay of $41,469. The Census Bureau also counts 6,049 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,637; 6,049 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 209; US 248
Paid employees: 23,543
Average annual pay: $41,469; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	162	20.6	0.99×About typical	1,666	$63,144	289
Restaurants and other eating places	122	15.5	0.85×About typical	2,421	$17,871	25
Specialty trade contractors	111	14.1	0.91×About typical	648	$52,245	618
Religious organizations	64	8.2	1.47×More than typical	514	$21,385	—
Offices of other health practitioners	59	7.5	1.24×About typical	362	$47,688	118
Lessors of real estate	58	7.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	165	$34,752	462
Building equipment contractors	55	7	1.16×About typical	317	$47,126	122
Automotive repair and maintenance	52	6.6	1.32×More than typical	286	$43,626	170
Limited-service restaurants	51	6.5	0.81×About typical	1,381	$15,377	7
Full-service restaurants	48	6.1	0.80×Fewer than typical	809	$23,131	11
Truck transportation	41	5.2	1.03×About typical	707	$72,726	233
Construction of buildings	40	5.1	0.67×Fewer than typical	207	$54,942	271

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 78,473 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 $2.4M on contracts performed in Searcy, AR micropolitan area: $30.29 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.4M; +636% vs FY2025
Per resident: $30.29; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.5%; 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 Highway Administration$2.1M88%
Bureau of Engraving and Printing$181.9K7.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$32.9K1.4%
Department of the Army$23.9K1.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$23.8K1.0%
Department of Energy$10.5K0.4%
U.S. Secret Service$8,4000.3%

Top recipients

ECLIPSE COMPANIES, LLC$2.1M88%
FINZER ROLLER, INC.$181.9K7.5%
SWAIN DISTRIBUTION INC$34.3K1.4%
SEABREEZE ALUMINUM CULVERT INC$32.9K1.4%
JOSEPH T. RYERSON & SON, INC.$23.9K1.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1MFY2017
678.3KFY2018
2.6MFY2019
323KFY2020
77.3KFY2021
196KFY2022
71.6KFY2023
523.4K

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$2.1M88%
Rubber product manufacturing · 3262$181.9K7.5%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$32.9K1.4%
Metal and mineral (except petroleum) merchant wholesalers · 4235$23.9K1.0%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$23.3K1.0%
Couriers and express delivery services · 4921$8,400

Largest awards

PROJECT AR FW BLD 11(1): THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF ROADWAY RECONSTRUCTION AND RESURFACING OF GRANARY SOUTH ROAD (ROUTE 011). THE WORK INCLUDES BANK STABILIZATION, AGGREGATE BASE (LIMESTONE), AGGREGATE SURFACE COURSE (LIMESTONE), PIPE CULVERT REPLACEME$2.1M
ECLIPSE COMPANIES, LLC· White County, AR· Construction & real property· Feb 26, 2026 – Feb 26, 2026· 693C7326F00036N
WCF INK ROLLER RECOVERY$181.9K
FINZER ROLLER, INC.· White County, AR· Equipment maintenance· Aug 21, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026· 2031ZA26F00444
AR-BALD KNOB NWR-LMRF-1 IRA-THINNING$171.5K
PRIME SITE WORK & CONCRETE INC· White County, AR· Facilities & utilities· Apr 16, 2024 – Jan 7, 2026· 140FS324P0183

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 $523.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Searcy, AR micropolitan area: $6,534 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $523.3M; −5.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,534; US $12,955
Loan face value: $39.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$285.9M55%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$73.1M14%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$68M13%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$34.7M6.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$20.3M3.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$14.8M2.8%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.9M1.1%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$5.4M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY$9.8M1.9%
BEEBE, AR
HARDING UNIVERSITY, INC.$6.1M1.2%
SEARCY, AR
HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF SEARCY$1.5M0.3%
SEARCY, AR
SHAWN PEEBLES ORGANIC FARMS LL$423.1K0.1%
AUGUSTA, AR
HARDING UNIVERSITY, INC.$356.4K

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$408.9M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$83.1M16%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$16.5M3.2%
Railroad Retirement Board$5.9M1.1%
Farm Service Agency$3.2M0.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

460MFY2021
473.4MFY2022
473.5MFY2023
491.9MFY2024
555.3MFY2025
523.3MFY2026

County aggregates

95%

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 Searcy, 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.

White CountyCentral county1380,085

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SearcyPrincipal city23,340

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/M42620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Searcy, 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 Searcy, 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

Improved13

Declined4

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