Van Buren County, Arkansas
Located in Arkansas, Van Buren County has a population of 15,998 residents and a median age of 49.6 years, making it the #2,100 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.1%. The median home value is $135,700, and the median household income is $50,354, which is 33% below the national median.
Demographics
Van Buren County has a population of 15,998, making it the #2,100 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.6 years, which is 27.5% above 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 Van Buren County is $50,354, ranking #2,752 out of 3,222 counties — 33.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Van Buren County is $135,700 (-51.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $722/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Van Buren County, 15.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.5% below the national average, ranking #2,814 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Van Buren County is 73.9 years. 27.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
24.3% of adults in Van Buren County smoke , 37.0% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 31.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 31.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.8% of children in Van Buren County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 29.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Van Buren County is 59.2%. The mean commute time is 35.5 min, which is 28.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Van Buren County voted Republican with a margin of 60.1%. The vote was 18.9% Dem / 79% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Van Buren County, Arkansas
Van Buren County, Arkansas has a total population of 15,998, making it the 2,100th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Van Buren County is 49.6 years, which is 27.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Van Buren County is $50,354, which ranks #2,752 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Van Buren County is $135,700, 51.9% below the national median. Renters in Van Buren County pay a median gross rent of $722 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Van Buren County, 15.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.5 min.
Van Buren County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
All data for Van Buren 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.