Population 32,467 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Van Buren
Household size in Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Van Buren has 2.52 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Arkansas. Household size has edged down from 2.60 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.3 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 39.3, the median age in Van Buren is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.4, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Van Buren (12.6%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Van Buren
Renters in Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.1% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.3% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Van Buren rent their homes (29.3%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 47.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has fallen 1.5 points since 2006–10, 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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Van Buren: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.6 points, mirroring the country. Van Buren has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Arkansas cities.
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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Van Buren 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 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the south.
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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $627 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $668 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $752 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $861 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$233 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Van Buren pays $861 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $233 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.1% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the south; the highest are in the center.
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 Van Buren
Bachelor's degrees in Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Van Buren have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 6.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southeast.
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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.2% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.1% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.5% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.2% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Van Buren never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Arkansas. The share with a diploma is up 12.0 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 Van Buren
| Period | Van Buren | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Van Buren runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Arkansas. 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).
Van Buren 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren | 2.52 | 39.3 | 12.6% | 29.3% | 7.8% | 1988 | $861 | 20.2% | 87.2% | 4.6% |
| Dora | 2.87 | 34.7 | 13.6% | 20.9% | 10.0% | 1998 | $956 | 19.3% | 92.8% | 0.0% |
| Kibler | 2.88 | 35.0 | 7.6% | 11.4% | 7.7% | 1997 | $794 | 16.7% | 92.5% | 1.3% |
| Rudy | 2.39 | 49.8 | 4.8% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 1988 | $818 | 18.7% | 84.7% | 1.2% |
| Fort Smith | 2.48 | 38.0 | 14.1% | 45.2% | 10.2% | 1976 | $967 | 23.1% | 83.1% | 6.4% |
| Alma | 2.75 | 35.6 | 19.1% | 28.7% | 12.3% | 1992 | $944 | 21.7% | 90.3% | 5.0% |
| Cedarville | 2.64 | 46.7 | 11.0% | 5.9% | 8.4% | 1991 | $969 | 15.0% | 82.6% | 1.5% |
| Moffett | 3.12 | 58.3 | 9.8% | 34.1% | 29.4% | 1985 | $880 | 7.8% | 91.1% | 2.1% |
| Barling | 2.06 | 38.6 | 11.2% | 34.4% | 12.2% | 1997 | $1,122 | 28.1% | 91.7% | 1.7% |
| Arkoma | 2.69 | 35.5 | 16.3% | 36.1% | 12.4% | 1972 | $747 | 12.2% | 85.0% | 7.0% |
| Roland | 2.77 | 37.0 | 11.6% | 35.5% | 13.3% | 1987 | $871 | 12.1% | 86.4% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Garfield Heights, OH · Jasper, AL · Jacksonville Beach, FL · Immokalee, FL · Hobart, IN · Hiram, GA · Henderson, NC · Helotes, TX · Grand Haven, MI · Garfield, NJ
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 Van Buren. 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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