Yell County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05149 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Yell County has a population of 20,134 residents and a median age of 39.3 years, making it the #1,874 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $143,600, and the median household income is $55,934, which is 26% below the national median.

20,134
Population
#1,874 of 3,222
$55,934
Median Income
-25.6% #2,409 of 3,222
39.3 years
Median Age
+1.0% #2,306 of 3,222
15.6%
Poverty Rate
+24.1% #2,063 of 3,222

Demographics

Yell County has a population of 20,134, making it the #1,874 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.2%
Native Born
8.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Yell County is $55,934, ranking #2,409 out of 3,222 counties — 25.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#2,409
$55,934
-25.6%
vs nation
25th percentile
Per Capita#2,643
$28,554
-30.8%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poverty#2,063
15.6%
+24.1%
vs nation
36th percentile
Unemployment#904
3.4%
-36.2%
vs nation
72th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Yell County is $143,600 (-49.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $735/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.5%.

Home Value#2,336
$143,600
-49.1%
vs nation
27th percentile
Rent#2,554
$735
-36.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Homeownership#2,529
67.5%
+4.9%
vs nation
22th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Yell County, 14.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.8% below the national average, ranking #2,833 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.9% −55.8% vs nation
Rank #2,833 of 3,222
12th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Yell County is 73.9 years. 26.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,960
73.9
-1.6%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,887
26.6%
+36.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,687
13.6%
+22.2%
vs nation
15th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,273
39.9%
+6.9%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,958
6.6
+17.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,068
5.8
+30.8%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,123
11.9%
+13.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,980
35.2%
+33.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,656
18.0%
+24.9%
vs nation
16th percentile

Substance Use

21.2% of adults in Yell County smoke , 38.7% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,542
21.2%
+18.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,654
38.7%
+2.1%
vs nation
47th percentile
Excessive Drinking#997
18.4%
-7.4%
vs nation
68th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Yell County is 8.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,022
8.1
+1.7%
vs nation
34th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,668
20.9
+5.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#665
12.5
-30.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,981
23.7
+17.2%
vs nation
30th percentile

Families & Children

23.0% of children in Yell County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 34.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,613
34.9
+59.7%
vs nation
13th percentile
Child Poverty#2,308
23.0%
+21.1%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Yell County is 45.6%. The mean commute time is 23.5 min, which is 14.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
45.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.5 min −14.9% vs nation
Rank #2,257 of 3,222
30th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Yell County voted Republican with a margin of 60.8%. The vote was 18.7% Dem / 79.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +60.8%
18.7% 79.5%
Dem 6,477 votes Rep
2020 REP +58.5%
19% 77.5%
Dem 6,741 votes Rep
2016 REP +49.0%
23% 72%
Dem 6,389 votes Rep
2012 REP +38.9%
28.8% 67.7%
Dem 5,971 votes Rep
2008 REP +29.9%
33.2% 63.1%
Dem 6,036 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Yell County, Arkansas

Yell County, Arkansas has a total population of 20,134, making it the 1,874th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Yell County is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Yell County is $55,934, which ranks #2,409 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Yell County is $143,600, 49.1% below the national median. Renters in Yell County pay a median gross rent of $735 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Yell County, 14.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.5 min.

Yell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (21.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).

All data for Yell 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.