Population 10,808 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mena
Household size in Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Mena has 2.43 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.33, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.4 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.0 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.0, Mena is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the northeast. Of the 101 Arkansas cities with 5,000+ people, only five are older.
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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Mena, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 6.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only eight of the 101 Arkansas cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Mena
Renters in Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.1% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Mena is largely a place of homeowners: only 21.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (55.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.0 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 19.8% of the housing in Mena, 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 2.5 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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Mena is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, 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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $512 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $555 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $631 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $746 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$235 | +$346 | +$606 |
Rent in Mena runs $746 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $235 a month since 2006–10, up 46%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 21.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Mena
Bachelor's degrees in Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.9% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Mena have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 9.0 points since 2006–10, 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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.0% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.3% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mena is the same as the national rate: 89.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent. The share with a diploma is up 8.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Mena
| Period | Mena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Mena than nationally: unemployment was 7.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Mena compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mena | 2.43 | 46.0 | 6.7% | 21.3% | 19.8% | 1984 | $746 | 20.9% | 89.3% | 7.0% |
| Potter Junction | 2.53 | 43.1 | 12.2% | 19.2% | 19.0% | 1989 | $753 | 19.2% | 85.4% | 6.3% |
| Dallas | 2.21 | 59.5 | 2.8% | 6.4% | 17.9% | 1996 | $700 | 18.6% | 87.7% | 12.4% |
| Eagleton | 2.18 | 51.0 | 8.2% | 19.2% | 6.8% | 2000 | $661 | 16.1% | 86.7% | 2.5% |
| Ink | 2.14 | 55.7 | 6.9% | 13.0% | 16.5% | 1985 | $682 | 17.9% | 79.8% | 6.0% |
| Potter | 2.38 | 61.8 | 1.8% | 1.8% | 10.5% | 1999 | $717 | 9.7% | 89.5% | 7.1% |
| Board Camp | 2.24 | 56.6 | 4.7% | 7.8% | 18.8% | 1993 | $698 | 17.6% | 87.0% | 10.5% |
| Rocky | 2.57 | 50.3 | 6.4% | 9.3% | 16.2% | 1993 | $726 | 18.0% | 88.3% | 6.8% |
| Yocana | 2.34 | 50.5 | 6.8% | 10.5% | 18.4% | 1986 | $655 | 15.9% | 84.3% | 4.8% |
| Hatfield | 2.18 | 42.6 | 7.0% | 25.6% | 9.3% | 1979 | $717 | 12.1% | 83.8% | 7.7% |
| Mountain Fork | 2.67 | 47.3 | 4.6% | 9.1% | 15.1% | 1995 | $686 | 24.6% | 89.9% | 6.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Airway Heights, WA · Albion, MI · Alden, NY · Algonac, MI · Alpine, UT · Ocean City, NJ · Ontario, NY · Oberlin, OH · Oaklyn, NJ · Oakland, TN
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 Mena. 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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