Newton County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05101 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Newton County has a population of 7,112 residents and a median age of 49.9 years, making it the #2,728 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $169,300, and the median household income is $48,986, which is 35% below the national median.

7,112
Population
#2,728 of 3,222
$48,986
Median Income
-34.8% #2,829 of 3,222
49.9 years
Median Age
+28.3% #227 of 3,222
15.9%
Poverty Rate
+25.9% #2,099 of 3,222

Demographics

Newton County has a population of 7,112, making it the #2,728 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.9 years, which is 28.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.4%
Native Born
0.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Newton County is $48,986, ranking #2,829 out of 3,222 counties — 34.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.

Income#2,829
$48,986
-34.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Per Capita#2,484
$29,648
-28.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poverty#2,099
15.9%
+25.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Unemployment#1,365
4.1%
-22.9%
vs nation
58th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Newton County is $169,300 (-39.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $617/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.5%.

Home Value#1,820
$169,300
-39.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#3,019
$617
-46.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Homeownership#1,254
76.5%
+18.8%
vs nation
61th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Newton County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.5% below the national average, ranking #2,722 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.7% −53.5% vs nation
Rank #2,722 of 3,222
16th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Newton County is 73.6 years. 24.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,064
73.6
-2.1%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,620
24.3%
+24.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Diabetes#2,192
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,373
40.3%
+8.0%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,924
6.6
+16.4%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,804
5.3
+19.1%
vs nation
11th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,500
9.1%
-12.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,807
33.2%
+25.8%
vs nation
11th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,466
17.1%
+18.7%
vs nation
22th percentile

Substance Use

23.4% of adults in Newton County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,882
23.4%
+30.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,893
39.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
40th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,553
19.9%
+0.3%
vs nation
51th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 35.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,467
35.9
+82.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,310
32.0
+79.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,402
30.1
+48.5%
vs nation
15th percentile

Families & Children

27.1% of children in Newton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 40.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,820
40.1
+83.6%
vs nation
6th percentile
Child Poverty#2,667
27.1%
+42.7%
vs nation
15th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Newton County is 64.4%. The mean commute time is 35.8 min, which is 29.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.8 min +29.8% vs nation
Rank #221 of 3,222
93th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Newton County voted Republican with a margin of 64.1%. The vote was 17.1% Dem / 81.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +64.1%
17.1% 81.2%
Dem 3,770 votes Rep
2020 REP +62.1%
17.7% 79.8%
Dem 3,998 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.4%
18.7% 77.1%
Dem 3,731 votes Rep
2012 REP +41.4%
27.1% 68.5%
Dem 3,661 votes Rep
2008 REP +35.6%
29.8% 65.4%
Dem 3,960 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Newton County, Arkansas

Newton County, Arkansas has a total population of 7,112, making it the 2,728th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Newton County is 49.9 years, which is 28.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Newton County is $48,986, which ranks #2,829 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in Newton County is $169,300, 39.9% below the national median. Renters in Newton County pay a median gross rent of $617 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Newton County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.8 min.

Newton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.7%).

All data for Newton 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.