Prairie County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05117 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Prairie County has a population of 8,064 residents and a median age of 45.7 years, making it the #2,651 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.8%. The median home value is $96,400, and the median household income is $51,646, which is 31% below the national median.

8,064
Population
#2,651 of 3,222
$51,646
Median Income
-31.3% #2,681 of 3,222
45.7 years
Median Age
+17.5% #634 of 3,222
11.8%
Poverty Rate
-6.0% #1,237 of 3,222

Demographics

Prairie County has a population of 8,064, making it the #2,651 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% 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 Prairie County is $51,646, ranking #2,681 out of 3,222 counties — 31.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.8% and unemployment stands at 3.0%.

Income#2,681
$51,646
-31.3%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,271
$30,905
-25.1%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poverty#1,237
11.8%
-6.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Unemployment#684
3.0%
-42.8%
vs nation
79th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Prairie County is $96,400 (-65.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $625/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.8%.

Home Value#3,041
$96,400
-65.8%
vs nation
5th percentile
Rent#3,002
$625
-46.3%
vs nation
7th percentile
Homeownership#1,413
75.8%
+17.7%
vs nation
56th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Prairie County, 18.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.9% below the national average, ranking #2,315 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.2% −45.9% vs nation
Rank #2,315 of 3,222
28th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Prairie County is 72.8 years. 26.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,293
72.8
-3.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,832
26.0%
+32.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Diabetes#2,273
12.4%
+11.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,570
41.1%
+10.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,650
6.2
+10.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,774
5.3
+18.2%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,468
9.0%
-14.2%
vs nation
53th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,915
34.3%
+30.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,356
16.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
25th percentile

Substance Use

24.3% of adults in Prairie County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 19.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,963
24.3%
+35.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,512
38.3%
+1.0%
vs nation
52th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,245
19.2%
-3.6%
vs nation
60th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,075
25.1
+27.0%
vs nation
19th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,855
22.4
+10.7%
vs nation
34th percentile

Families & Children

22.4% of children in Prairie County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 29.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,311
29.6
+35.8%
vs nation
23th percentile
Child Poverty#2,229
22.4%
+17.9%
vs nation
29th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Prairie County is 54.2%. The mean commute time is 29.6 min, which is 7.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.6 min +7.2% vs nation
Rank #955 of 3,222
70th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Prairie County voted Republican with a margin of 65.7%. The vote was 16.4% Dem / 82.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +65.7%
16.4% 82.1%
Dem 3,200 votes Rep
2020 REP +61.0%
18.7% 79.7%
Dem 3,495 votes Rep
2016 REP +49.6%
23.9% 73.5%
Dem 3,404 votes Rep
2012 REP +40.6%
28% 68.6%
Dem 3,134 votes Rep
2008 REP +34.7%
31% 65.7%
Dem 3,381 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Prairie County, Arkansas

Prairie County, Arkansas has a total population of 8,064, making it the 2,651st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Prairie County is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Prairie County is $51,646, which ranks #2,681 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.0%.

The median home value in Prairie County is $96,400, 65.8% below the national median. Renters in Prairie County pay a median gross rent of $625 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Prairie County, 18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.6 min.

Prairie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).

All data for Prairie 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.