The Little Rock metro area: Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties · Population 758,629 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Little Rock area
Household size in the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in the Little Rock area run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.51, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the center.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The Little Rock area is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.6, against 40.1 nationally. Arkansas comes in at about the same level. The median age has climbed from 36.7 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in the Little Rock area (12.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The Little Rock area has a higher share of single-parent households than most large metro areas.
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 the Little Rock area
Renters in the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.9% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.3% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in the Little Rock area rent their homes (36.3%), close to the national share of 34.8%. About four in ten owners (40.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. The renter share is up 2.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in the Little Rock area as nationally: 9.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Arkansas overall (13.1%). Vacancy has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The Little Rock area has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $749 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $820 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $906 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,127 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$378 | +$346 | +$606 |
Rent in the Little Rock area runs $1,127 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Arkansas overall ($1,007). Rents are up $378 a month from 2006–10, a 51% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 the Little Rock area
Bachelor's degrees in the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.4% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.4% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.3% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Little Rock area as nationally: 33.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Arkansas overall (26.2%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.9 points, mirroring the country.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.2% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Little Rock area is a bit above the national rate: 92.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.2 points, as it has nationally.
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 the Little Rock area
| Period | Little Rock area | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Little Rock area runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Largest cities in the Little Rock area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock area (all) | 2.47 | 38.6 | 12.1% | 36.3% | 9.7% | 1988 | $1,127 | 33.3% | 92.1% | 4.4% |
| Conway | 2.42 | 34.0 | 9.8% | 46.5% | 8.9% | 1995 | $1,104 | 40.1% | 93.7% | 3.8% |
| North Little Rock | 2.16 | 39.7 | 13.3% | 48.4% | 10.6% | 1976 | $1,108 | 29.1% | 89.8% | 5.6% |
| Benton | 2.53 | 39.7 | 8.4% | 28.0% | 5.4% | 1992 | $1,161 | 29.7% | 94.5% | 3.6% |
| Pine Bluff | 2.66 | 39.4 | 17.8% | 40.0% | 21.4% | 1974 | $939 | 21.2% | 88.1% | 10.9% |
| Sherwood | 2.41 | 41.3 | 10.0% | 27.7% | 9.4% | 1991 | $1,149 | 34.1% | 94.6% | 3.9% |
| Jacksonville | 2.54 | 37.2 | 15.1% | 48.0% | 11.3% | 1982 | $974 | 20.0% | 88.6% | 8.1% |
| Cabot | 2.66 | 37.0 | 14.3% | 28.2% | 6.5% | 1998 | $1,240 | 22.8% | 93.6% | 3.6% |
| Maumelle | 2.38 | 38.8 | 7.7% | 46.2% | 6.7% | 1998 | $1,187 | 47.8% | 94.6% | 4.7% |
| Malvern | 2.49 | 42.1 | 7.6% | 31.3% | 13.6% | 1977 | $805 | 17.6% | 89.0% | 3.6% |
| Bryant | 2.64 | 37.1 | 10.5% | 29.9% | 6.4% | 1997 | $1,082 | 35.6% | 94.0% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Madison area · Poughkeepsie area · Akron area · Des Moines area · Lakeland area · Colorado Springs area · Fort Myers area · Boise area · Greensboro area · Stockton area
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 the Little Rock area. 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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