Howard County, Arkansas
Located in Arkansas, Howard County has a population of 12,583 residents and a median age of 38.8 years, making it the #2,312 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.5%. The median home value is $153,900, and the median household income is $45,603, which is 39% below the national median.
Demographics
Howard County has a population of 12,583, making it the #2,312 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.8 years, which is 0.3% below 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 Howard County is $45,603, ranking #2,946 out of 3,222 counties — 39.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.5% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howard County is $153,900 (-45.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $690/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howard County, 16.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.9% below the national average, ranking #2,630 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howard County is 72.4 years. 23.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.3% of adults in Howard County smoke , 39.7% are obese , and 17.6% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Howard County is 10.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.5% of children in Howard County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 35.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howard County is 53.0%. The mean commute time is 22.7 min, which is 17.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howard County voted Republican with a margin of 46.7%. The vote was 25.9% Dem / 72.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howard County, Arkansas
Howard County, Arkansas has a total population of 12,583, making it the 2,312th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howard County is 38.8 years, which is 0.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howard County is $45,603, which ranks #2,946 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Howard County is $153,900, 45.4% below the national median. Renters in Howard County pay a median gross rent of $690 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howard County, 16.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.7 min.
Howard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 62.9% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (20.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (12.6%).
All data for Howard 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.