Sharp County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05135 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Sharp County has a population of 17,773 residents and a median age of 47.1 years, making it the #1,996 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.5%. The median home value is $105,100, and the median household income is $44,637, which is 41% below the national median.

17,773
Population
#1,996 of 3,222
$44,637
Median Income
-40.6% #2,977 of 3,222
47.1 years
Median Age
+21.1% #454 of 3,222
16.5%
Poverty Rate
+30.6% #2,205 of 3,222

Demographics

Sharp County has a population of 17,773, making it the #1,996 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sharp County is $44,637, ranking #2,977 out of 3,222 counties — 40.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.5% and unemployment stands at 8.1%.

Income#2,977
$44,637
-40.6%
vs nation
8th percentile
Per Capita#2,712
$27,969
-32.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poverty#2,205
16.5%
+30.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Unemployment#2,960
8.1%
+53.1%
vs nation
8th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sharp County is $105,100 (-62.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $766/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.8%.

Home Value#2,913
$105,100
-62.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Rent#2,363
$766
-34.1%
vs nation
27th percentile
Homeownership#814
78.8%
+22.4%
vs nation
75th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sharp County, 13.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.7% below the national average, ranking #2,944 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.9% −58.7% vs nation
Rank #2,944 of 3,222
9th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sharp County is 73.0 years. 25.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,233
73.0
-2.8%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,796
25.6%
+30.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Diabetes#2,138
12.1%
+8.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,885
38.6%
+3.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,916
6.6
+16.3%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,940
5.5
+24.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,896
10.9%
+4.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,013
35.8%
+35.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,943
19.9%
+38.1%
vs nation
6th percentile

Substance Use

25.0% of adults in Sharp County smoke , 38.0% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,009
25.0%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,418
38.0%
+0.2%
vs nation
55th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,068
18.6%
-6.3%
vs nation
66th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,073
28.4
-12.2%
vs nation
49th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Sharp County is 9.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 27.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,094
9.0
+12.5%
vs nation
29th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,249
27.9
+41.5%
vs nation
12th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,817
21.7
+21.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,608
35.2
+73.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Families & Children

25.4% of children in Sharp County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 35.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,662
35.9
+64.3%
vs nation
11th percentile
Child Poverty#2,532
25.4%
+33.7%
vs nation
19th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sharp County is 55.6%. The mean commute time is 30.2 min, which is 9.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.2 min +9.4% vs nation
Rank #853 of 3,222
74th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sharp County voted Republican with a margin of 62.7%. The vote was 17.7% Dem / 80.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +62.7%
17.7% 80.4%
Dem 7,437 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.0%
18.5% 78.5%
Dem 7,566 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.7%
20.5% 75.2%
Dem 7,190 votes Rep
2012 REP +38.9%
28.7% 67.6%
Dem 7,282 votes Rep
2008 REP +28.9%
33.6% 62.5%
Dem 7,252 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sharp County, Arkansas

Sharp County, Arkansas has a total population of 17,773, making it the 1,996th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sharp County is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sharp County is $44,637, which ranks #2,977 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 40.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.1%.

The median home value in Sharp County is $105,100, 62.7% below the national median. Renters in Sharp County pay a median gross rent of $766 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sharp County, 13.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.2 min.

Sharp County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.5%).

All data for Sharp 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.