ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Newton County, Arkansas

FIPS 05101 · Harrison, AR · Population 7,112
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$48,986
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.9%
Unemployment
4% national
$139M
GDP
15.7%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 7,112 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$48,986
Per Capita
$29,648
Mean Household
$67,641
Poverty Rate
15.9% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Newton County$48,986
Arkansas$60,773
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 27.7% (1,972 residents) 55-64: 15.6% (1,110 residents) 35-54: 22.3% (1,589 residents) 18-34: 15.6% (1,109 residents) Under 18: 18.7% (1,332 residents) 50 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 18.7%
18-34 · 15.6%
35-54 · 22.3%
55-64 · 15.6%
65+ · 27.7%
Race & Ethnicity
White93.1%
Black or African American0.2%
Asian0%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)1.7%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
83.4%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 6.2 pts
15.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 20.0 pts
5.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 8.6 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
7,112
Population
3,133
Labor Force
Employed
3,005
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.9% ▲ +0.6 pts YoY
Mean Commute 8 min above national avg
33.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.1%
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
  • Elevated poverty: At 15.9%, the rate is in economically distressed territory and supports federal funding narratives (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 20.0 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
  • Aging population: Median age of 50 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$139M
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Newton County, Arkansas, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
124 69.7%
$24,978
2Manufacturing
54 30.3%
$48,505
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 124 workers (69.7% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $24,978.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $139M (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
5.43x
38
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.31x
50

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
88
Cluster Employment
5.43x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
5.43x 38
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.31x 50
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers concentrates at 5.43x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Newton County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$169,300
Median Home Value vs 2019
$617
Rent/Mo
76.5%
Owner-Occ
22.4%
Vacancy
3.5x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$614/mo
1 Bedroom
$803/mo
2 Bedroom
$880/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,055/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,476/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,225/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.5x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 76.5% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 22.4% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,225/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
3,808
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 8 min above national avg
33.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.1%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
81.1%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 54.2% of working-age population (18-64) 54% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
15.7%
HS Diploma+
83.4%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
23,161/yr
University of Arkansas 7,274/yr
Arkansas State University 5,133/yr
Arkansas Tech University 3,923/yr
University of Central Arkansas 2,507/yr
University of Arkansas at Little Rock 2,279/yr
NorthWest Arkansas Community College 2,045/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
29.1%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
26.8%
Service
15%
Sales & Office
23%
Construction / Maint.
15.7%
Production / Transport
19.5%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 3,005 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 29.1% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Low participation: 54.2% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 16,330 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Newton County shows strong potential for gasoline stations and fuel dealers attraction, with a 5.43x concentration and 38 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 29.1% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Newton County, Arkansas, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Newton County, Arkansas?

7,112 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Newton County, Arkansas?

$48,986 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Newton County, Arkansas?

4.9% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Newton County, Arkansas?

$139M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).