Population 18,429 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ashley County
Household size in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Ashley County has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Arkansas as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.46, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.4 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Ashley County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.4, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.5, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.0% of households in Ashley County, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Ashley County has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Arkansas counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ashley County
Renters in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.6% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Ashley County rent their homes (29.2%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 67.9% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ashley County: 21.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 7.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Ashley County was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Arkansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1988. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the southwest.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $484 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $594 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $604 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $676 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$192 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ashley County pays $676 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $192 a month from 2006–10, a 40% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.0% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ashley County
Bachelor's degrees in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ashley County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.0% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.2% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.0% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ashley County is close to the national rate: 88.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 7.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ashley County
| Period | Ashley County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Ashley County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ashley County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley County | 2.54 | 42.4 | 8.0% | 29.2% | 21.7% | 1978 | $676 | 12.8% | 88.0% | 5.5% |
| Union County | 2.56 | 41.5 | 11.6% | 27.3% | 17.4% | 1981 | $850 | 19.3% | 88.0% | 5.9% |
| Humphreys County | 2.58 | 40.6 | 23.1% | 38.3% | 17.5% | 1980 | $671 | 19.2% | 81.7% | 11.4% |
| Columbia County | 2.49 | 36.7 | 13.6% | 29.3% | 22.9% | 1981 | $755 | 24.7% | 90.1% | 3.0% |
| Lafayette County | 2.34 | 48.9 | 9.4% | 20.7% | 32.3% | 1977 | $644 | 8.3% | 82.1% | 4.9% |
| Holmes County | 2.61 | 37.6 | 22.4% | 39.0% | 16.3% | 1982 | $641 | 14.0% | 83.9% | 8.7% |
| Attala County | 2.62 | 39.0 | 16.5% | 24.7% | 19.7% | 1981 | $831 | 19.4% | 89.3% | 5.6% |
| Cass County | 2.48 | 44.0 | 14.5% | 23.4% | 16.5% | 1983 | $832 | 18.2% | 87.5% | 6.4% |
| Winston County | 2.42 | 43.3 | 17.6% | 27.0% | 13.0% | 1980 | $862 | 21.2% | 84.9% | 6.7% |
| Morris County | 2.53 | 40.6 | 12.5% | 26.1% | 17.8% | 1977 | $783 | 14.1% | 84.5% | 6.7% |
| Titus County | 2.86 | 36.0 | 16.1% | 29.4% | 9.2% | 1983 | $923 | 16.8% | 77.9% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Morgan County, UT · Pickens County, AL · Charlevoix County, MI · Cheboygan County, MI · Chester County, TN · Northumberland County, VA · Cibola County, NM · Northampton County, VA · North Slope Borough, AK · Nome Census Area, AK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ashley County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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