Arkansas

Home/Arkansas Arkansas State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 87 13% below the U.S. average Median home value $175,300 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +49.7% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $914 national $1,348 Homeownership 66% national 65% Unemployment 3.2% national 3.6% Household income $58,773 national $78,538 Median age 38.4 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 13% below the national average. The median home is valued at $175,300 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 50% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $914 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.2% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $58,773. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Arkansas saw a net gain of 5,213 tax-filing households and a net gain of 11,246 individuals. Against a population of about 3,067,732, that is a net inflow of about 3.7 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area gained $445.8M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 7,451 households, came from Texas; the largest outflow, about 6,498 households, went to Texas. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 14,641 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) +$445.8M nominal dollars Net households +5,213 tax returns Net people +11,246 exemptions +3.7 net people per 1,000 residents (population 3,067,732) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$2.4B Moved out$1.9B Net +$445.8M (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com Arkansas counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1Texas7,451$498.9M2Missouri3,265$175.3M3Oklahoma2,953$133.7M4California2,736$188.5M5Tennessee1,960$117.7M6Florida1,933$116.3M7Louisiana1,423$78.5M8Colorado1,100$83M9Illinois1,059$80.8M10Mississippi1,033$51.9M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1Texas6,498$406.7M2Missouri3,143$153.1M3Oklahoma2,929$137.9M4Tennessee1,839$99.7M5Florida1,743$168.4M6California1,313$84.4M7Louisiana1,063$51.3M8Illinois882$49.9M9Colorado875$53.1M10Georgia824$50.9M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. Texas 7,451 6,498 +953 +$92.2M Missouri 3,265 3,143 +122 +$22.1M Oklahoma 2,953 2,929 +24 -$4.2M California 2,736 1,313 +1,423 +$104.1M Tennessee 1,960 1,839 +121 +$17.9M Florida 1,933 1,743 +190 -$52.1M Louisiana 1,423 1,063 +360 +$27.3M Colorado 1,100 875 +225 +$29.9M Illinois 1,059 882 +177 +$30.9M Mississippi 1,033 793 +240 +$12.4M Georgia 853 824 +29 -$236K Arizona 859 582 +277 +$25.3M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: +$1.4B (+53,299 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 -$93.5M -1,195 2013 -$41.1M -1,654 2014 -$72.7M -4,489 2015 -$81.3M -1,545 2016 -$39.5M +1,028 2017 +$75.5M +5,110 2018 -$18M +2,431 2019 -$43.9M +2,253 2020 +$249.9M +9,763 2021 +$539.1M +15,710 2022 +$467.7M +14,641 2023 +$445.8M +11,246 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 11,246 more people moved into Arkansas than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net gain of about $445.8M in income (nominal) — in a state of 3,069,856 people. Population 3,069,856 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate +3.7 net people per 1,000 residents A town of 10,000 would net about +37 people. Net income per resident +$145 nominal dollars ≈ +$445.8M total across 3,069,856 residents. The rate lets you compare Arkansas with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +35,330 Deaths 36,406 Net domestic migration +17,825 Net international migration +5,592 Total change +22,427 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around Arkansas run about 13% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $115 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $56,547 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 19% below the U.S. average Price level 86.8 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 13.2% lower than average What that income buys $65,139 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 7% below the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents56.7 Goods93.1 Utilities81.9 Other services95.7 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of Arkansas American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 38.4 years Median household income $58,773 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 25% below the U.S. median College degree 25% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 16.0% residents below the poverty line Average commute 22 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 85% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 68%Hispanic 9%Black 15%Asian 2%Other 7% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $175,300 owner-occupied homes 42% below the U.S. median Median rent $914 gross rent per month 32% below the U.S. median Homeownership 66% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +8.7% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +50% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 12,842new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 73%Multifamily 27% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 3.2% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 1,386,192 1,342,482 employed Disaster declarations 3 major federal, 2023 most common: Winter Storm Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 3.7% May 2026 ▼ 0.1 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into Arkansas minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k +451 In 4,065Out 3,614+$2M AGI $10k–$25k +739 In 8,938Out 8,199+$12.5M AGI $25k–$50k +1,045 In 9,618Out 8,573+$39.1M AGI $50k–$75k +572 In 4,868Out 4,296+$34.1M AGI $75k–$100k +640 In 3,066Out 2,426+$55.6M AGI $100k–$200k +1,256 In 4,576Out 3,320+$177M AGI $200k+ +423 In 1,739Out 1,316+$132.8M AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), Arkansas ranks #17 of 51 states for net household migration (+423). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What Arkansas ships and receives Physical goods shipped between Arkansas and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $110.6B Ships to other states +56% since 2017 $116.5B Receives from states +59% since 2017 $5.9B Net balance Top goods shipped out Mixed freight $24.9B Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and their preparations $14.6B Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $13.9B Machinery $12.0B Base metal in primary or semi-finished forms and in finished basic shapes $11.4B Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts) $8.2B Top goods received Mixed freight $23.3B Pharmaceutical products $15.6B Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and their preparations $9.0B Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts) $8.0B Machinery $8.0B Plastics and rubber $7.0B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Arkansas ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Texas $18.4B $17.7B +$688M $36.1B Tennessee $7.7B $16.1B -$8.4B $23.8B Missouri $8.2B $12.4B -$4.2B $20.6B California $7.9B $9.1B -$1.2B $17.0B Oklahoma $6.4B $5.3B +$1.1B $11.7B Georgia $4.3B $4.0B +$300M $8.2B Louisiana $4.6B $3.5B +$1.2B $8.1B Illinois $3.6B $4.2B -$624M $7.8B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Arkansas and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What Arkansas collects in taxes Total state taxes $12.8B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $4,156 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) General sales & gross receipts$5B 39% Individual income tax$2.9B 23% Property taxes$1.4B 11% Corporation net income tax$1.1B 8% Motor fuels sales tax$606.1M 5% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How Arkansas has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 396,905 759,241 26,530 R +30.6 1,182,676 2020 423,932 760,647 34,490 R +27.6 1,219,069 2016 380,494 684,872 64,530 R +26.9 1,129,896 2012 394,409 647,744 27,315 R +23.7 1,069,468 2008 422,310 638,017 26,290 R +19.9 1,086,617 2004 468,631 572,770 12,293 R +9.9 1,053,694 2000 422,768 472,940 26,073 R +5.4 921,781 1996 475,171 325,416 83,675 D +16.9 884,262 1992 505,823 337,324 107,506 D +17.7 950,653 1988 349,237 466,578 11,923 R +14.2 827,738 1984 338,646 534,774 10,986 R +22.2 884,406 1980 398,041 403,164 36,377 R +0.6 837,582 1976 498,604 267,903 1,028 D +30.1 767,535 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2022 John Boozman 280,187 592,437 28,682 R +34.6 2020 Tom Cotton — 793,871 399,390 — 2016 John Boozman 400,602 661,984 43,866 R +23.6 2014 Tom Cotton 334,174 478,819 34,007 R +17.1 2010 John Boozman 288,156 451,618 39,807 R +21.0 2008 Mark L. Pryor 804,678 — 207,076 — 2004 Blanche L. Lincoln 580,973 458,036 212 D +11.8 2002 Mark Pryor 433,386 370,735 — D +7.8 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 0 R 4 2022 D 0 R 4 2020 D 0 R 4 2018 D 0 R 4 2016 D 0 R 4 2014 D 0 R 4 2012 D 0 R 4 2010 D 1 R 3 2008 D 3 R 1 2006 D 3 R 1 2004 D 3 R 1 2002 D 3 R 1 2000 D 3 R 1 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in Arkansas (75) Arkansas CountyAshley CountyBaxter CountyBenton CountyBoone CountyBradley CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyChicot CountyClark CountyClay CountyCleburne CountyCleveland CountyColumbia CountyConway CountyCraighead CountyCrawford CountyCrittenden CountyCross CountyDallas CountyDesha CountyDrew CountyFaulkner CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGarland CountyGrant CountyGreene CountyHempstead CountyHot Spring CountyHoward CountyIndependence CountyIzard CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyLafayette CountyLawrence CountyLee CountyLincoln CountyLittle River CountyLogan CountyLonoke CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMiller CountyMississippi CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyNevada CountyNewton CountyOuachita CountyPerry CountyPhillips CountyPike CountyPoinsett CountyPolk CountyPope CountyPrairie CountyPulaski CountyRandolph CountySaline CountyScott CountySearcy CountySebastian CountySevier CountySharp CountySt. Francis CountyStone CountyUnion CountyVan Buren CountyWashington CountyWhite CountyWoodruff CountyYell County Get the next update for Arkansas The IRS releases new migration data once a year. 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