Ashley County, Arkansas
Located in Arkansas, Ashley County has a population of 18,429 residents and a median age of 42.8 years, making it the #1,966 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.1%. The median home value is $91,900, and the median household income is $44,266, which is 41% below the national median.
Demographics
Ashley County has a population of 18,429, making it the #1,966 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Ashley County is $44,266, ranking #2,986 out of 3,222 counties — 41.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.1% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Ashley County is $91,900 (-67.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $703/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Ashley County, 12.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.0% below the national average, ranking #3,046 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Ashley County is 70.9 years. 26.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.2% of adults in Ashley County smoke , 42.1% are obese , and 16.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Ashley County is 11.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
25.2% of children in Ashley County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 34.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Ashley County is 52.7%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Ashley County voted Republican with a margin of 48.0%. The vote was 25.2% Dem / 73.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Ashley County, Arkansas
Ashley County, Arkansas has a total population of 18,429, making it the 1,966th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ashley County is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Ashley County is $44,266, which ranks #2,986 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 41.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Ashley County is $91,900, 67.4% below the national median. Renters in Ashley County pay a median gross rent of $703 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Ashley County, 12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.
Ashley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 67.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (23.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.4%).
All data for Ashley County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.