Baxter County, Arkansas
Located in Arkansas, Baxter County has a population of 42,407 residents and a median age of 51.4 years, making it the #1,159 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.5%. The median home value is $174,600, and the median household income is $48,452, which is 36% below the national median.
Demographics
Baxter County has a population of 42,407, making it the #1,159 most populous county in the US. The median age is 51.4 years, which is 32.1% 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 Baxter County is $48,452, ranking #2,859 out of 3,222 counties — 35.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.5% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Baxter County is $174,600 (-38.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $846/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Baxter County, 19.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 42.3% below the national average, ranking #2,097 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Baxter County is 74.2 years. 22.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.0% of adults in Baxter County smoke , 41.3% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 14.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Baxter County is 6.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 33.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.6% of children in Baxter County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 24.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Baxter County is 61.4%. The mean commute time is 21.2 min, which is 23.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Baxter County voted Republican with a margin of 56.9%. The vote was 20.7% Dem / 77.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County, Arkansas has a total population of 42,407, making it the 1,159th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Baxter County is 51.4 years, which is 32.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Baxter County is $48,452, which ranks #2,859 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.
The median home value in Baxter County is $174,600, 38.1% below the national median. Renters in Baxter County pay a median gross rent of $846 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Baxter County, 19.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.2 min.
Baxter County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.9%).
All data for Baxter 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.