Arkansas Population, Economy, Jobs & Key Trends | Data Lab Region: Arkansas Coverage: 1819 - 2025 Report ID: RH-D4F3B3378D019FD4 URL: https://greenblog.co.kr/en/data-report/arkansas-population-economy-jobs-key-trends-data-lab-5/ === Full report === Understanding Arkansas requires more than a population line. Household income, home value, and unemployment describe different parts of daily economic life, while the state’s institutions, transportation links, conservation areas, and civil-rights landmarks explain how those changes sit within a distinctive regional geography. Little Rock and northwest Arkansas play different but complementary roles. Population change across a multi-centered state Arkansas follows a mostly gradual population-growth path across the observed period. A short decline appears late in the series, followed by renewed growth. The overall pattern is one of expansion rather than abrupt statewide change, but a state total cannot show how differently individual communities or subregions may have moved. It is therefore useful to separate the statewide direction from the geography beneath it. Little Rock anchors government, public services, river logistics, and a large share of statewide civic institutions. Northwest Arkansas has a different network built around the University of Arkansas, regional aviation, and a closely connected group of cities. These centers give population change different local meanings. Growth in one part of the state can create housing, transportation, or service pressures that are less visible in the statewide total. Population is best treated as the scale-setting measure for the rest of the page. It helps frame the potential demand for housing, education, health care, transportation, and other services, but it does not explain affordability or labor conditions by itself. Those questions become clearer only after income, housing, and unemployment are considered alongside the state’s internal geography. Household income and the housing market move upward Median household income rises in every observed year. The early part of the series changes more gently, while later gains become more pronounced. This is a useful signal about household economic capacity, but it is a nominal-dollar measure. Rising income should not automatically be interpreted as an equal improvement in purchasing power, because living costs and household circumstances can change at the same time. Median home value also rises throughout the series and accelerates later. When income and home values move upward together, the interpretation has two sides. Existing owners may see stronger asset values, while buyers entering the market can face higher purchase costs. Renters are not described directly by the home-value measure. For that reason, the pair is more informative than either series on its own. Statewide medians also hide geographic variation. Central Arkansas, the northwest corridor, smaller cities, and rural communities can have different housing supply, job access, and demand conditions. The statewide rise is therefore a strong directional signal but not a substitute for local housing-market analysis. It is most useful as a common baseline for comparing how household resources and residential asset values changed over time. Employment improves over the long run, but one rate is not the whole labor market The unemployment rate first moves higher and then enters a long decline. A temporary late rebound interrupts that direction before the rate moves lower again. This creates a clear turning pattern without requiring a causal story. The series indicates that the share of people in the labor force who were unemployed became lower over the long run, but it does not explain why that happened. Reading unemployment beside household income adds another layer. Income rises while unemployment trends lower over much of the span, so two different measures of economic life generally move in a favorable direction. Yet home values are also rising, especially later. A household can therefore encounter improved labor-market access and higher nominal income while also facing a more expensive housing environment. The measures answer different questions and should remain separate. Regional institutions help explain the state’s economic geography without being treated as statistical causes. The Port of Little Rock connects river, rail, and industrial land. Northwest Arkansas National Airport expands external access for the northwest corridor. The University of Arkansas anchors education and research. Together these assets show why a statewide unemployment rate is only one layer of a broader regional economy. History, civil rights, conservation, and infrastructure shape the regional context Arkansas’s governmental geography has deep roots. The territorial government moved to Little Rock before statehood, helping establish the city’s long administrative role. Much later, Little Rock Central High became the site of a nationally significant conflict over school integration, federal court orders, and civil rights. That history remains essential context for understanding public institutions and education in the state. Conservation creates another long-running regional layer. Hot Springs National Park brings thermal springs, historic bathhouses, and an urban park setting together. Buffalo National River protects a free-flowing Ozark river and surrounding natural and cultural resources. These places are not side notes to the economy: they are durable public assets that influence tourism, recreation, identity, and land stewardship. Transportation and communications add a third layer. The Port of Little Rock tied the capital region more closely to river and intermodal freight. The northwest airport created a stronger commercial-air connection for a rapidly changing part of the state. More recently, official broadband planning has made digital connectivity a distinct infrastructure concern. The sequence shows regional connectivity expanding from physical movement to information access. How to read the indicators together The four measures are complementary rather than interchangeable. Population describes scale. Household income describes the middle of the household-income distribution in nominal dollars. Home value describes the middle of owner-occupied housing values. Unemployment describes a labor-market condition among people in the labor force. A change in one cannot be assumed to produce a change in another. The late part of the series is especially useful for seeing different directions at once. Population briefly falls and then returns to growth. Unemployment briefly rebounds and then moves lower. Income and home value continue upward. The mixed pattern is a reminder that regional change rarely follows a single line. Turning points should be compared in time, but not converted into claims of cause without separate evidence. The strongest regional reading combines time series with place. Little Rock contributes government, port, cultural, and civil-rights functions. Northwest Arkansas contributes a major university and air gateway. Hot Springs and the Buffalo River corridor add nationally managed conservation landscapes. Statistics show direction; these places and events explain the spatial and institutional setting in which the direction matters. Sources US_EIA · Total primary energy productionUS_EIA · Total energy consumptionUS_CENSUS_DATA_API · PopulationUS_CENSUS_DATA_API · Median household incomeUS_CENSUS_DATA_API · Median home valueUS_CENSUS_DATA_API · Unemployment rate FAQ What is the long-run direction of Arkansas population? The statewide series shows gradual growth overall, with a brief late decline followed by renewed growth. Does rising household income mean housing became more affordable? Not by itself. Median household income rises, but median home value also rises, so affordability requires both sides of the household budget and more local detail. Why include places and historical events with economic indicators? Ports, airports, universities, parks, and civil-rights landmarks explain the institutional and geographic setting that a statewide statistical series cannot show on its own. Arkansas combines gradual population expansion, persistent rises in household income and home value, and a long decline in unemployment. Those statistical patterns become more useful when placed beside the state’s administrative history, civil-rights landmarks, conservation assets, port and airport networks, university role, and newer digital-infrastructure priorities. The result is a regional story with several centers and several kinds of change. === Metrics === Total primary energy production 1985 455221 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1986 396293 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1987 418453 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1988 422583 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1989 435201 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1990 443286 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1991 446578 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1992 473555 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1993 503366 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1994 490546 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1995 472317 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1996 518867 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1997 511025 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1998 471696 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 1999 443334 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2000 431290 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2001 445277 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2002 446024 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2003 460553 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2004 479166 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2005 464680 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2006 563550 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2007 573972 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2008 733108 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2009 982308 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2010 1232080 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2011 1394730 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2012 1467525 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2013 1434283 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2014 1438902 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2015 1310295 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2016 1106791 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2017 971637 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2018 869653 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2019 813255 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2020 757147 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2021 711431 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2022 697906 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2023 675313 Billion Btu Total primary energy production 2024 643744 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1985 768517 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1986 739016 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1987 718177 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1988 801908 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1989 863033 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1990 829674 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1991 818074 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1992 847533 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1993 912973 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1994 951014 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1995 1002777 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1996 1025669 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1997 1039783 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1998 1061551 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 1999 1083254 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2000 1124742 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2001 1078834 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2002 1095219 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2003 1083763 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2004 1069229 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2005 1094815 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2006 1103064 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2007 1108782 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2008 1082215 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2009 1019337 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2010 1108050 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2011 1114143 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2012 1063798 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2013 1091385 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2014 1107699 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2015 1042791 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2016 1036038 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2017 1043144 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2018 1102095 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2019 1077136 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2020 1012039 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2021 1057029 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2022 1062321 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2023 1054139 Billion Btu Total energy consumption 2024 1059524 Billion Btu Population 2011 2895928 persons Population 2012 2916372 persons Population 2013 2933369 persons Population 2014 2947036 persons Population 2015 2958208 persons Population 2016 2968472 persons Population 2017 2977944 persons Population 2018 2990671 persons Population 2019 2999370 persons Population 2020 3011873 persons Population 2021 3006309 persons Population 2022 3018669 persons Population 2023 3032651 persons Population 2024 3049391 persons Median household income 2011 40149 US dollars Median household income 2012 40531 US dollars Median household income 2013 40768 US dollars Median household income 2014 41264 US dollars Median household income 2015 41371 US dollars Median household income 2016 42336 US dollars Median household income 2017 43813 US dollars Median household income 2018 45726 US dollars Median household income 2019 47597 US dollars Median household income 2020 49475 US dollars Median household income 2021 52123 US dollars Median household income 2022 56335 US dollars Median household income 2023 58773 US dollars Median household income 2024 60773 US dollars Median home value 2011 105100 US dollars Median home value 2012 106300 US dollars Median home value 2013 107300 US dollars Median home value 2014 108700 US dollars Median home value 2015 111400 US dollars Median home value 2016 114700 US dollars Median home value 2017 118500 US dollars Median home value 2018 123300 US dollars Median home value 2019 127800 US dollars Median home value 2020 133600 US dollars Median home value 2021 142100 US dollars Median home value 2022 162400 US dollars Median home value 2023 175300 US dollars Median home value 2024 188000 US dollars Unemployment rate 2011 8.3505565086038 percent Unemployment rate 2012 8.5633413916725 percent Unemployment rate 2013 8.8708514949143 percent Unemployment rate 2014 8.4203548855105 percent Unemployment rate 2015 7.7105914370356 percent Unemployment rate 2016 6.8535060327621 percent Unemployment rate 2017 6.2517625493514 percent Unemployment rate 2018 5.5388852786876 percent Unemployment rate 2019 5.1297298123468 percent Unemployment rate 2020 5.1904807405541 percent Unemployment rate 2021 5.3252356644104 percent Unemployment rate 2022 5.1471370528307 percent Unemployment rate 2023 5.0942488575842 percent Unemployment rate 2024 4.9356288560154 percent === Timeline === 1819 1819 - Creation of Arkansas Territory — Congress created Arkansas Territory, and the first territorial legislature met at Arkansas Post. 1821 1821 - Territorial Government Moves to Little Rock — The territorial government moved from Arkansas Post to Little Rock. 1836 1836 - Arkansas Becomes a State — Arkansas entered the Union as a state and began operating under state government. 1921 1921 - Hot Springs Designated a National Park — Hot Springs, already under federal protection, was designated a national park. 1957 1957 - Little Rock Central High Integration Crisis — The Little Rock Nine entered Central High under federal court orders and federal protection, making the school integration conflict a national civil-rights event. 1959 1959 - Port of Little Rock Founded — The Little Rock city council founded the Port of Little Rock and organized a structure to pursue an Arkansas River port. 1972 1972 - Buffalo National River Established — Congress established Buffalo National River, creating a federal conservation framework for the free-flowing river and surrounding natural and cultural resources. 1986 1986 - Total primary energy production: 396293 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 739016 Billion Btu 1987 1987 - Total primary energy production: 418453 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 718177 Billion Btu 1988 1988 - Total primary energy production: 422583 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 801908 Billion Btu 1989 1989 - Total primary energy production: 435201 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 863033 Billion Btu 1990 1990 - Total primary energy production: 443286 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 829674 Billion Btu 1991 1991 - Total primary energy production: 446578 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 818074 Billion Btu 1992 1992 - Total primary energy production: 473555 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 847533 Billion Btu 1993 1993 - Total primary energy production: 503366 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 912973 Billion Btu 1994 1994 - Total primary energy production: 490546 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 951014 Billion Btu 1995 1995 - Total primary energy production: 472317 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1002777 Billion Btu 1996 1996 - Total primary energy production: 518867 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1025669 Billion Btu 1997 1997 - Total primary energy production: 511025 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1039783 Billion Btu 1998 1998 - Total primary energy production: 471696 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1061551 Billion Btu - Northwest Arkansas Airport Opens for Commercial Service — A new regional airport in northwest Arkansas opened for commercial service, changing the area’s air-access structure. 1999 1999 - Total primary energy production: 443334 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1083254 Billion Btu 2000 2000 - Total primary energy production: 431290 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1124742 Billion Btu 2001 2001 - Total primary energy production: 445277 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1078834 Billion Btu 2002 2002 - Total primary energy production: 446024 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1095219 Billion Btu 2003 2003 - Total primary energy production: 460553 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1083763 Billion Btu 2004 2004 - Total primary energy production: 479166 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1069229 Billion Btu - Clinton Presidential Center Dedicated — The William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened in Little Rock as a site for presidential records, research, exhibits, and public programs. 2005 2005 - Total primary energy production: 464680 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1094815 Billion Btu 2006 2006 - Total primary energy production: 563550 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1103064 Billion Btu 2007 2007 - Total primary energy production: 573972 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1108782 Billion Btu 2008 2008 - Total primary energy production: 733108 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1082215 Billion Btu 2009 2009 - Total primary energy production: 982308 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1019337 Billion Btu 2010 2010 - Total primary energy production: 1232080 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1108050 Billion Btu 2011 2011 - Total primary energy production: 1394730 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1114143 Billion Btu 2012 2012 - Total primary energy production: 1467525 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1063798 Billion Btu - Population: 2916372 persons - Median household income: 40531 US dollars - Median home value: 106300 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 8.5633413916725 percent 2013 2013 - Total primary energy production: 1434283 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1091385 Billion Btu - Population: 2933369 persons - Median household income: 40768 US dollars - Median home value: 107300 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 8.8708514949143 percent 2014 2014 - Total primary energy production: 1438902 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1107699 Billion Btu - Population: 2947036 persons - Median household income: 41264 US dollars - Median home value: 108700 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 8.4203548855105 percent 2015 2015 - Total primary energy production: 1310295 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1042791 Billion Btu - Population: 2958208 persons - Median household income: 41371 US dollars - Median home value: 111400 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 7.7105914370356 percent 2016 2016 - Total primary energy production: 1106791 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1036038 Billion Btu - Population: 2968472 persons - Median household income: 42336 US dollars - Median home value: 114700 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 6.8535060327621 percent 2017 2017 - Total primary energy production: 971637 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1043144 Billion Btu - Population: 2977944 persons - Median household income: 43813 US dollars - Median home value: 118500 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 6.2517625493514 percent 2018 2018 - Total primary energy production: 869653 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1102095 Billion Btu - Population: 2990671 persons - Median household income: 45726 US dollars - Median home value: 123300 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.5388852786876 percent 2019 2019 - Total primary energy production: 813255 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1077136 Billion Btu - Population: 2999370 persons - Median household income: 47597 US dollars - Median home value: 127800 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.1297298123468 percent 2020 2020 - Total primary energy production: 757147 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1012039 Billion Btu - Population: 3011873 persons - Median household income: 49475 US dollars - Median home value: 133600 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.1904807405541 percent 2021 2021 - Total primary energy production: 711431 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1057029 Billion Btu - Population: 3006309 persons - Median household income: 52123 US dollars - Median home value: 142100 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.3252356644104 percent 2022 2022 - Total primary energy production: 697906 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1062321 Billion Btu - Population: 3018669 persons - Median household income: 56335 US dollars - Median home value: 162400 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.1471370528307 percent 2023 2023 - Total primary energy production: 675313 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1054139 Billion Btu - Population: 3032651 persons - Median household income: 58773 US dollars - Median home value: 175300 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 5.0942488575842 percent 2024 2024 - Total primary energy production: 643744 Billion Btu - Total energy consumption: 1059524 Billion Btu - Population: 3049391 persons - Median household income: 60773 US dollars - Median home value: 188000 US dollars - Unemployment rate: 4.9356288560154 percent 2025 2025 - Arkansas BEAD Final Proposal Approved — The National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved Arkansas’s final BEAD proposal for broadband expansion. === Regional places === - Major city: Little Rock — Arkansas’s capital is the state’s main center for government and administration. Its riverfront urban core also links transportation, public services, and cultural institutions. - Nature & parks: Hot Springs National Park — This national park combines thermal springs, forested terrain, and a historic bathhouse district within an urban setting. Bathhouse Row ties natural history to the region’s tourism and cultural story. - Nature & parks: Buffalo National River — The national river protects a free-flowing Ozark stream and a landscape of bluffs, caves, and forests. Conservation and outdoor recreation are central to its role in northern Arkansas. - Attractions: Crater of Diamonds State Park — This state park interprets a distinctive volcanic setting and diamond-bearing ground in southwest Arkansas. Its public search experience makes geology, education, and tourism part of the same destination. - Landmark: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site — This national historic site preserves and interprets a pivotal civil-rights confrontation over school integration. The experience of the Little Rock Nine connects local place to a national story of educational rights and federal enforcement. - Education: University of Arkansas — Based in Fayetteville, the state flagship and land-grant university combines education, research, and public service. It is a key anchor for understanding the academic and research role of northwest Arkansas. - Airport: Northwest Arkansas National Airport — The airport connects the northwest Arkansas urban region with the commercial air network. Its opening followed a long regional planning effort and strengthened access for the growing northwest corridor. - Port: Port of Little Rock — The Port of Little Rock combines Arkansas River navigation with rail and road connections as an industrial and logistics hub. Its development adds a freight and production dimension to the capital region’s administrative role. === Sources === - US_EIA TEPRB https://api.eia.gov/v2/seds/data/ - US_EIA TETCB https://api.eia.gov/v2/seds/data/ - US_CENSUS_DATA_API B01003_001E https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5 - US_CENSUS_DATA_API B19013_001E https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5 - US_CENSUS_DATA_API B25077_001E https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5 - US_CENSUS_DATA_API B23025_003E+B23025_005E https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5