Craighead County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05031 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Craighead County has a population of 113,249 residents and a median age of 34.5 years, making it the #554 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.1%. The median home value is $210,400, and the median household income is $59,548, which is 21% below the national median.

113,249
Population
#554 of 3,222
$59,548
Median Income
-20.8% #2,118 of 3,222
34.5 years
Median Age
-11.3% #2,998 of 3,222
20.1%
Poverty Rate
+59.7% #2,683 of 3,222

Demographics

Craighead County has a population of 113,249, making it the #554 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.5 years, which is 11.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.3%
Native Born
3.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Craighead County is $59,548, ranking #2,118 out of 3,222 counties — 20.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.1% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#2,118
$59,548
-20.8%
vs nation
34th percentile
Per Capita#1,796
$33,774
-18.1%
vs nation
44th percentile
Poverty#2,683
20.1%
+59.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Unemployment#2,334
5.6%
+4.9%
vs nation
28th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Craighead County is $210,400 (-25.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $958/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.1%.

Home Value#1,301
$210,400
-25.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Rent#1,149
$958
-17.6%
vs nation
64th percentile
Homeownership#3,004
60.1%
-6.7%
vs nation
7th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Craighead County, 29.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 11.9% below the national average, ranking #783 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
29.7% −11.9% vs nation
Rank #783 of 3,222
76th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Craighead County is 74.4 years. 23.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,805
74.4
-1.0%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,435
23.1%
+18.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Diabetes#2,229
12.3%
+10.5%
vs nation
29th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,614
41.3%
+10.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,816
6.4
+13.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,749
5.2
+17.5%
vs nation
13th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,682
9.9%
-5.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,793
33.0%
+25.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,776
18.7%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile

Substance Use

19.8% of adults in Craighead County smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 17.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 13.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,214
19.8%
+10.3%
vs nation
30th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,276
37.5%
-1.1%
vs nation
59th percentile
Excessive Drinking#592
17.1%
-14.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#163
13.3
-58.8%
vs nation
92th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Craighead County is 7.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#975
7.7
-4.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Suicide Rate#809
15.3
-22.3%
vs nation
68th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,395
17.6
-1.5%
vs nation
43th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,125
16.3
-19.8%
vs nation
60th percentile

Families & Children

23.1% of children in Craighead County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 25.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,060
8.2
+20.0%
vs nation
22th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,979
25.5
+16.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Child Poverty#2,316
23.1%
+21.6%
vs nation
26th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Craighead County is 48.6%. The mean commute time is 21.9 min, which is 20.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
48.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.9 min −20.5% vs nation
Rank #2,547 of 3,222
21th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Craighead County voted Republican with a margin of 37.4%. The vote was 30.1% Dem / 67.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +37.4%
30.1% 67.5%
Dem 37,242 votes Rep
2020 REP +35.4%
31% 66.4%
Dem 38,511 votes Rep
2016 REP +35.2%
30% 65.2%
Dem 34,968 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.0%
33.2% 64.2%
Dem 31,207 votes Rep
2008 REP +24.5%
36.5% 61%
Dem 30,968 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Craighead County, Arkansas

Craighead County, Arkansas has a total population of 113,249, making it the 554th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Craighead County is 34.5 years, which is 11.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Craighead County is $59,548, which ranks #2,118 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Craighead County is $210,400, 25.4% below the national median. Renters in Craighead County pay a median gross rent of $958 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Craighead County, 29.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 11.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.9 min.

Craighead County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (16.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.3%).

All data for Craighead 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.