County · Arkansas

Howard County, Arkansas

Howard County, Arkansas has a quality-of-life score of 14 out of 100 (very low), ranking #2,689 of 3,143 US counties. Within Arkansas it ranks #30 of 75 counties. It ranks best on students per teacher (low), drug overdose deaths (low) and gyms and fitness centers (high). It ranks worst on mental health care shortage (high), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (high) and new homes permitted (low).

14Very low

Quality-of-life score: #2,689 of 3,143 counties
Arkansas: #30 of 75 in AR
Population: 12,306 (2025)
Land area: 587 mi²
Density: 21.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 05061

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 78 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety23#2,375/3,096
Economy8#2,892/3,143
Housing44#1,761/3,140
Health23#2,433/3,144
Healthcare35#2,039/3,143
Environment7#2,901/3,108
Education21#2,477/3,144
Infrastructure28#2,261/3,144
Community20#2,522/3,144
Leisure & amenities63#1,162/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Howard County, Arkansas ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Students per teacher · low9.7×
94/100Arkansas 12.5×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education Statistics
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
91/100Arkansas 10.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Gyms and fitness centers · high1.6 /10k
87/100Arkansas 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Effective property tax rate · low0.46%
85/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
81/100Arkansas 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Public transit commuters · high0.7%
81/100Arkansas 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high21.0
1/100Arkansas 12.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services Administration
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.3 µg/m³
4/100Arkansas 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
6/100Arkansas 4.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Job growth · low-4.8%
6/100Arkansas -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Mammography screening · low32.0%
7/100Arkansas 43.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Voter turnout · low50.5%
7/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
13% (2021) → 67% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+54 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
9.2% (2010 & 2021) → 46.7% (2022 & 2024)
+38 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.8 /10k (2020) → 1.6 /10k (2025)
+107%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Grocery storesImproving
0.8 /10k (2020) → 1.6 /10k (2025)
+107%5 yearsUS 1.7 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
12.8 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Drinking water violationsImproving
1 (2020) → 0 (2024)
−100%4 years

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, Howard County, Arkansas improved on 8 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 19 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved8

Real income+52%$41,515 → $63,039
Inequality−0.0530.511 → 0.458
Violent crime−50%365 /100k → 182 /100k
Broadband+15 points66.1% → 80.8%
Weekly wage+25%$721 → $903

Declined1

Price / income+0.7×2.7× → 3.4×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Howard County, Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.6 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+56%	Within the margin of error	93%
Average commute time	20.6 min2015-2019	19.8 min2020-2024	−0.8 min	Within the margin of error	74%
Average weekly wage	$7212020	$9032025	+25%	Improved	59%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.6%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Broadband subscriptions	66.1%2015-2019	80.8%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	79%
Child poverty rate	24.9%2019	24.1%2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Distance to an airport	109 mi2020	109 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	13.2 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−100%	Within the margin of error	97%
Effective property tax rate	0.42%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Grocery stores	0.8 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+107%	Within the margin of error	99%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+107%	Within the margin of error	96%
High school diploma or higher	85.2%2015-2019	87.7%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	21%
Homicide rate	18.5 /100k2020	8.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−57%	Within the margin of error	77%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,5152019	$63,0392024	+52%	Improved	97%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5112015-2019	0.4582020-2024	−0.053	Improved	96%
Median household income	$41,4272019	$50,3302024	+21%	Improved	31%
New business applications	7.4 /1k2020	10.4 /1k2025	+41%	Improved	46%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+56%	Within the margin of error	98%
Poverty rate	16.8%2019	18.5%2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Property crime rate	1,376 /100k2020	1,155 /100k2025	−16%	Within the margin of error	22%
Public libraries	3.0 /10k2019	2.4 /10k2024	−21%	Within the margin of error	4%
Rent as share of income	29.1%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Rent-burdened households	46.7%2015-2019	52.9%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Restaurants and bars	7.8 /10k2020	9.8 /10k2025	+24%	Within the margin of error	87%
Students per teacher	10.4×2019	9.7×2024	−0.7×	Improved	49%
Traffic deaths	30.0 /100k2015-2019	22.2 /100k2020-2024	−26%	Within the margin of error	84%
Unemployment rate	5.3%2020	4.9%2025	−0.4 points	Little change	5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.1%2019	12.4%2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Violent crime rate	365 /100k2020	182 /100k2025	−50%	Improved	87%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties 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; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; 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 3144 counties 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.

Counties like Howard County, Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Howard County, 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, Howard County, Arkansas itself moved +4.4 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

12,583 residents

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: 70–79 women (−2.3 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

12,583 residents

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

White63%7,909
Black21%2,614
Hispanic or Latino13%1,582
Asian0.6%†73
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†12
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races3.1%†393

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−1.3 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

8,315 residents (±145)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

No high school diploma12%1,021
High school or GED41%3,407
Some college21%1,707
Associate degree10.0%831
Bachelor's degree11%891
Graduate degree5.5%†458

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (+2.2 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 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

5,098 households (±214)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k26%1,310
$25k–50k28%1,444
$50k–75k18%942
$75k–100k10%511
$100k–150k12%623
$150k–200k2.1%†108
$200k or more3.1%†160

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−10.6 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 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

5,098 households (±214)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own73%3,698
Rent27%1,400

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,223 households (±173)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $75054%661
$750–1,00034%†415
$1,000–1,50011%†136

Home values

3,698 homes (±227)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $150k48%1,789
$150k–250k33%1,216
$250k–400k12%†431

Age of homes

6,173 homes (±30)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

2010 or later11%702
2000–200911%654
1980–199925%1,573

Size of homes

6,173 homes (±30)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Studio2.6%†161
1 bedroom5.6%†345
2 bedrooms19%1,168

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

5,114 workers (±292)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone80%4,068
Carpool13%642
Public transit0.7%†37
Walk2.8%†143
Bike0.1%†3
Work from home3.0%†155
Other1.3%†66

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

4,959 workers (±318)

Howard County, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under 15 min53%2,618
15–29 min20%981
30–44 min15%†747

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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.

Howard County has 270 employer establishments, 215 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248; 0.94× Arkansas's), with 6,020 paid employees at an average annual pay of $37,897. The Census Bureau also counts 890 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 270; 890 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 215; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 6,020
Average annual pay: $37,897; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	22	17.5	0.84×About typical	325	$32,874	45
Restaurants and other eating places	20	15.9	0.87×About typical	311	$18,042	8
Religious organizations	16	12.7	2.30×More than typical	51	$15,647	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	13	10.3	2.36×More than typical	30	$34,400	17
Truck transportation	13	10.3	2.05×More than typical	143	$48,776	25
Specialty trade contractors	12	9.6	0.62×Fewer than typical	68	$43,426	100
Gasoline stations	10	8	2.45×More than typical	93	$20,495	—
Limited-service restaurants	10	8	0.99×About typical	205	$18,595	4
Offices of other health practitioners	10	8	1.31×More than typical	82	$38,915	15
Banks and credit unions	9	7.2	2.22×Too few to compare	86	$53,640	—
Full-service restaurants	8	6.4	0.83×Too few to compare	101	$16,248	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	7	5.6	1.11×Too few to compare	34	$41,176	20

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 12,565 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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $77.8K on contracts performed in Howard County, Arkansas: $6.32 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $77.8K; −83% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6.32; US $1,994
Sole-source: 14%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of the Army$67.2K86%
Consumer Product Safety Commission$10.6K14%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

488.6KFY2017
333.8KFY2018
438.3KFY2019
225.9KFY2020
406.2KFY2021
178.2KFY2022
328.7KFY2023
471.7K

Top industries (NAICS)

RV parks and recreational camps · 7212$38.5K50%
Facilities support services · 5612$14.6K19%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$14.1K18%
Data processing, hosting, and related services · 5182$10.6K14%

Largest awards

DIERKS LAKE PARK CLEANUP.$196K
G & L CONSTRUCTION, INC.· Howard County, AR· Facilities & utilities· Sep 23, 2022 – Oct 10, 2025· W9127S22P0088
DATA COLLECTION ON CONSUMER PRODUCT RELATED INJURIES.$69.4K
ANITA K WALDEN· Howard County, AR· Professional services· Jun 24, 2019 – Dec 17, 2025· 61320619N0104
JEFFERSON RIDGE A$48.9K
BLALOCK VERA· Howard County, AR· Facilities & utilities· Feb 23, 2023 – Nov 7, 2025· W9127S23P0016
DIERKS PROJECT OFFICE JANITORIAL SERVICES$44.2K

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.

Explore contracts in Howard County, Arkansas

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 $84M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Howard County, Arkansas: $6,823 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $84M; +2.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,823; US $12,955
Loan face value: $1.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$48.7M58%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$11.3M13%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$6M7.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$5.6M6.7%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$4.6M5.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.1M3.7%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$625.6K0.7%
10.109 · Livestock Forage Disaster Program$613.1K0.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$5.1M6.0%
LITTLE ROCK, AR
COUNTY OF HOWARD$815.9K1.0%
NASHVILLE, AR
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS DEVELOPMENTAL HOMES INC$289.2K0.3%
NASHVILLE, AR
BUNGALOW BAYOU LLC$177.5K0.2%
NASHVILLE, AR
TIMBER RIDGE MANOR LP$149.8K

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$68.7M82%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$7M8.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$5.1M6.0%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$815.9K1.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Farm Service Agency

Assistance by fiscal year

73.6MFY2021
74.8MFY2022
76.9MFY2023
81.1MFY2024
81.7MFY2025
84MFY2026

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.

Explore grants in Howard County, Arkansas

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Howard County, Arkansas compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Howard County, Arkansas
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2017	$36.57	$1,436
FY2018	$25.10	$1,552
FY2019	$33.15	$1,654
FY2020	$17.70	$1,880
FY2021	$32.01	$1,810
FY2022	$14.14	$1,917
FY2023	$26.16	$2,079
FY2024	$37.75	$2,047
FY2025	$37.96	$2,165
FY2026	$6.32 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2017	$21.46	$93.28
FY2018	$17.72	$105
FY2019	$23.87	$128
FY2020	$0	$145
FY2021	$0	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2021	$435	$5,748
FY2022	$464	$5,221
FY2023	$246	$5,364
FY2024	$375	$5,501
FY2025	-$86.36	$5,732
FY2026	$488

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2021	$238	$298
FY2022	$371	$357
FY2023	$99.67	$301
FY2024	$261	$319
FY2025	-$204	$360
FY2026	$412

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2021	$205	$239
FY2022	$111	$185
FY2023	$170	$229
FY2024	$126	$229
FY2025	$107	$249
FY2026	$118

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
FY2021	$666	$1,186
FY2022	$56.89	$465
FY2023	-$12.46	$76.52
FY2024	$0	$120
FY2025	$350	$148
FY2026	-$12.43

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Howard County, Arkansas
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Howard County, Arkansas and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	−0.7%	2.0%
2015

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

No jump in federal money met the criteria in the years loaded, so there is no comparison for this place.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/05061

See all comparisons

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.

Howard County, 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

Cities and towns in Howard County

Places whose residents live mostly in Howard County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

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
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/05061

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	−4.3%	−4.2%
2015	−4.6%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.1%	+3.3%
2018	+5.3%	+6.8%
2019	+8.9%	+10.5%
2020	+18.8%	+19.4%
2021	+25.0%	+26.1%
2022	+29.2%	+30.6%
2023	+30.0%	+35.0%
2024	+38.7%	+41.0%
2025	+48.8%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	+0.2%	−5.5%
2015	+0.6%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+6.0%	+4.1%
2018	+9.3%	+8.9%
2019	+3.6%	+13.5%
2020	+6.5%	+20.8%
2021	+31.3%	+32.1%
2022	+46.7%	+35.4%
2023	+37.5%	+42.9%
2024	+55.2%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	0.2/1k	3.3/1k
2015	0.2/1k	3.7/1k
2016	0.3/1k	3.7/1k
2017	0.3/1k	3.9/1k
2018	0.0/1k	4.1/1k
2019	0.0/1k	4.2/1k
2020	0.0/1k	4.4/1k
2021	0.0/1k	5.2/1k
2022	0.3/1k	5.0/1k
2023	0.0/1k	4.5/1k
2024	0.1/1k	4.3/1k
2025	0.0/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	+3.2%	−6.9%
2015	−8.2%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+1.6%	+4.7%
2018	+11.2%	+7.5%
2019	+14.5%	+14.0%
2020	+12.2%	+16.9%
2021	+18.2%	+21.0%
2022	+28.4%	+29.7%
2023	+30.8%	+34.9%
2024	+39.2%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	18.8%	15.5%
2015	18.7%	14.7%
2016	18.7%	14.0%
2017	19.1%	13.4%
2018	17.3%	13.1%
2019	16.8%	12.3%
2020	16.7%	11.9%
2021	17.9%	12.8%
2022	17.9%	12.6%
2023	17.8%	12.5%
2024	18.5%	12.1%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	5.6%	6.2%
2015	4.1%	5.3%
2016	3.4%	4.9%
2017	3.1%	4.4%
2018	3.5%	3.9%
2019	3.3%	3.7%
2020	5.3%	8.1%
2021	3.4%	5.4%
2022	3.2%	3.7%
2023	3.4%	3.6%
2024	3.4%	4.0%
2025	4.9%	4.3%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	−11.1% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−4.0% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+8.3% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+17.8% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+23.7% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+39.7% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+59.6% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+59.3% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+54.9% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+61.3% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+68.7% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	17.7%	13.5%
2015	14.4%	10.9%
2016	12.0%	10.0%
2017	11.6%	10.2%
2018	11.8%	10.4%
2019	13.1%	10.8%
2020	11.2%	10.4%
2021	12.0%	10.2%
2022	10.4%	9.5%
2023	12.2%	9.5%
2024	12.4%	9.8%

Calendar years	Howard County, Arkansas	United States
2014	5.6/1k	8.5/1k
2015	4.4/1k	8.7/1k
2016	4.6/1k	9.1/1k
2017	5.5/1k	9.8/1k
2018	5.6/1k	10.7/1k
2019	4.5/1k	10.6/1k
2020	7.4/1k	13.1/1k
2021	10.7/1k	16.2/1k
2022	7.5/1k	15.1/1k
2023	8.1/1k	16.2/1k
2024	7.0/1k	15.4/1k
2025	10.4/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved8

Declined1

Counties like Howard County, Arkansas five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

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

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Cities and towns in Howard County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved8

Declined1

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

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