Polk County, Arkansas (AR)

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County population in July 2007: 20,197 (26% urban, 74% rural)
County owner-occupied houses and condos: 6,308
Renter-occupied apartments: 1,739

% of renters here:	22%
State:	31%

Land area: 859 sq. mi.
Water area: 3.0 sq. mi.

Population density: 24 people per square mile

(low).

2008 cost of living index in Polk County: 81.4 (low, U.S. average is 100)

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Industries providing employment: Manufacturing (21.4%), Educational,health and social services (18.8%), Retail trade (11.1%), Agriculture,forestry,fishing and hunting, and mining (10.3%).

Type of workers:

Private wage or salary: 71%
Government: 14%
Self-employed, not incorporated: 14%
Unpaid family work: 1%

Polk County, Arkansas business data: stores, dealers, real estate agents, wholesalers, restaurants...

Races in Polk County, Arkansas:

White Non-Hispanic (93.1%)
Hispanic (3.5%)
American Indian (2.9%)
Other race (1.7%)
Two or more races (1.7%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Median resident age:	38.6 years
Arkansas median age:	36.0 years

Males: 9,958	(49.2%)
Females: 10,271	(50.8%)

Average wage per job in 2003: $20,548
County population in 2003: 20,214
Jobs in 2003: 6,718

Recent posts about Polk County, Arkansas on our local forum with over 400,000 registered users. Polk County is mentioned 10 times on our forum:

	Best place to live in Arkansas? (330 replies)
	Internet Service in Mena (4 replies)
	White, Arkansas (1 reply)
	Mena--opinions? (21 replies)
	Moving To Wickes--- Help!!!! (5 replies)
	Moving to Mena or Gilham area (10 replies)

Total labor force in 2004: 8,437
Unemployment rate in 2004: 6.1%

Average household size:

Polk County:	2.5 people
Arkansas:	2.5 people

Estimated median household income in 2007: $29,836 ($25,180 in 1999)

This county:	$29,836
Arkansas:	$38,134

2007 median house/condo value: $86,164 ($57,100 in 2000)

Polk County:	$86,164
Arkansas:	$101,000

Median contract rent in 2007 for apartments: $310 (lower quartile is $213, upper quartile is $401)

This county:	$310
State:	$421

Median monthly housing costs for homes and condos with a mortgage: $724
Median monthly housing costs for units without a mortgage: $231

Institutionalized population: 183

Crime in 2005 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 0
Rapes: 0
Robberies: 1
Assaults: 4
Burglaries: 46
Thefts: 25
Auto thefts: 3

Crime in 2004 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):

Murders: 0
Rapes: 0
Robberies: 0
Assaults: 19
Burglaries: 95
Thefts: 60
Auto thefts: 2

Polk County races chart

2004 Presidential Election results in Polk County Arkansas:

Bush/Cheney (Republican): 66.6%
Kerry/Edwards (Democratic): 31.7%

Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units in 2000: $336 (0.6%)

Polk County household income distribution in 2007

Polk County contract rent distribution in 2007

Residents with income below the poverty level in 2007:

This county:	18.2%
Whole state:	15.8%

Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2007:

This county:	6.1%
Whole state:	6.6%

Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Polk County is $411 a month.
Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $456 a month.
Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $593 a month.

Cities in this county include: Mena, Wickes, Grannis, Hatfield, Cove, Vandervoort.

2005 air pollution in Polk County:

Ozone (1-hour): 0.082 ppm (standard limit: 0.12 ppm). Near U.S. average.
Ozone (8-hour): 0.075 ppm (standard limit: 0.08 ppm). Near U.S. average.
Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) Annual (standard limit: 15.0 µg/m³): 12.6 µg/m³. Near U.S. average.
Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) 24-hour (standard limit: 35 µg/m³): 30 µg/m³. Near U.S. average.

Neighboring counties: Howard County , Le Flore County, Oklahoma , McCurtain County, Oklahoma , Montgomery County , Pike County , Scott County , Sevier County .

Click to draw/clear county borders

Notable locations in this county outside city limits:

Notable locations in Polk County: Menna Visitor Information Station (A), Ouachita Country Club (B), Polk County Fairgrounds (C), Rich Mountain Tower Recreation Area (D), Roaring Branch Natural Area (E), Arkwild Camp (F), Camp Pioneer (G), Bard Springs Recreation Area (H), High Point Camp (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Churches in Polk County include: Lower Big Fork Baptist Church (A), Bethel Chapel (B), Bethel Church (C), Yocana Church (D), Board Camp Assembly of God Church (E), Board Camp Baptist Church (F), Board Camp Primitive Baptist Church (G), Westview Church (H), West Valley Church (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Cemeteries: Crystal Hill Cemetery (1), Lower Big Fork Cemetery (2), Lone Valley Cemetery (3), Cherry Hill Cemetery (4), Nunley Cemetery (5), Oak Grove Cemetery (6), Grannis Cemetery (7). Display/hide their locations on the map

Lakes and reservoirs: Shady Lake (A), Hillcrest Lake (B), Lake Wilhelmina (C), Multipurpose Site One Reservoir (D), Aeration Lake (E), Patchett Lake (F), Jenkins Lake (G), Forbis Lake (H). Display/hide their locations on the map

Streams, rivers, and creeks: Loftis Creek (A), Long Branch (B), Mackey Creek (C), Macks Creek (D), Joshling Creek (E), Irons Fork (F), McKinney Creek (G), Indian Creek (H), Merren Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map

Parks in Polk County include: Shady Lake Recreation Area (1), Queen Wilhelmina State Park (2), Caney Creek State Wildlife Management Area (3). Display/hide their locations on the map

Post office: Hatton Post Office (A). Display/hide its location on the map

Unemployment in September 2007:

Here:	5.2%
Arkansas:	5.3%

Unemployment by year (%)

County total employment by year

County average yearly wages by year ($)

Current college students: 711
People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 72.6%
People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 10.9%

Number of foreign born residents: 538 (42% naturalized citizens)

Polk County:	2.7%
Whole state:	2.8%

Year of entry for the foreign-born population
	1995 to March 2000: 125 1990 to 1994: 96 1985 to 1989: 76 1980 to 1984: 39 1975 to 1979: 30 1970 to 1974: 44 1970 to 1974: 16 1965 to 1969: 112

Mean travel time to work: 20.4 minutes

Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 90.1%

Housing units in structures:

One, detached: 6,734
One, attached: 109
Two: 143
3 or 4: 92
5 to 9: 55
10 to 19: 73
20 or more: 65
Mobile homes: 1,874
Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 91

Housing units in Polk County with a mortgage: 1,736 (98 second mortgage, 37 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan)
Houses without a mortgage: 1,636

Here:	51.5% with mortgage
State:	60.8% with mortgage

Agriculture in Polk County
Average size of farms: 173 acres
Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $96569
Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $16.21
The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 0.00%
The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 99.48%
Average total farm production expenses per farm: $75263
Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 17.86%
Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 0.75%
Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $40108
The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 97.51%
Average age of principal farm operators: 55 years
Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 26.49
Land in orchards: 18 acres

Polk County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is slightly below Arkansas state average. It is 1.9 times above overall U.S. average.
Tornadoes in this county have caused one fatality and 15 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004.
On 11/13/1993, a category 2 (max. wind speeds 113-157 mph) tornado injured 11 people and caused between $5,000,000 and $50,000,000 in damages.

Class of Workers

Most common industries for males:

Construction (13%)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (13%)
Other transportation, and support activities, and couriers (5%)
Food (5%)
Electrical equipment, appliances, and components (5%)
Truck transportation (5%)
Educational services (5%)

Most common industries for females:

Health care (17%)
Educational services (14%)
Apparel (8%)
Accommodation and food services (8%)
Public administration (5%)
Department and other general merchandise stores (5%)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (5%)

Most common occupations for males

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (9%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (8%)
Metal workers and plastic workers (5%)
Farmers and farm managers (5%)
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers (5%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers (4%)

Most common occupations for females

Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (7%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (7%)
Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers (6%)
Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (5%)
Other production occupations including supervisors (5%)
Cooks and food preparation workers (4%)
Other sales and related workers including supervisors (4%)

Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents:

Mexico (59%)
Germany (12%)
Canada (7%)
Philippines (5%)
Honduras (3%)
Poland (2%)
Thailand (2%)

Most common first ancestries reported in Polk County:

United States or American (31%)
Irish (13%)
English (13%)
German (11%)
French (except Basque) (2%)
Scotch-Irish (2%)
Dutch (1%)

Polk County mode of transportation to work chart

Means of transportation to work

Drove a car alone: 6,492 (78%)
Carpooled: 1,111 (13%)
Bus or trolley bus: 21 (0%)
Subway or elevated: 6 (0%)
Bicycle: 4 (0%)
Walked: 275 (3%)
Other means: 99 (1%)
Worked at home: 308 (4%)

People in group quarters in Polk County, Arkansas

158 people in nursing homes
18 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
9 people in homes for the physically handicapped
7 people in mental (psychiatric) hospitals or wards

Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $33,096.

7.44% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($31,675 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	7.44%
Arkansas average:	7.98%

10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
2.33% relocated from other counties in Arkansas ($8,463 average AGI)
5.10% relocated from other states ($23,214 average AGI)
Polk County: 5.10%
Arkansas average: 3.66%

Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries

Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:

from Sevier County, AR	0.40% ($22,440 average AGI)
from Garland County, AR	0.24% ($39,333)
from McCurtain County, OK	0.24% ($17,133)
from Montgomery County, AR	0.23% ($29,857)
from Sebastian County, AR	0.21% ($22,615)
from Dallas County, TX	0.19% ($48,667)

6.44% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($23,336 average adjusted gross income)

Here:	6.44%
Arkansas average:	7.29%

10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
3.03% relocated to other counties in Arkansas ($11,520 average AGI)
3.42% relocated to other states ($11,816 average AGI)
Polk County: 3.42%
Arkansas average: 3.00%

Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries

Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:

to Sebastian County, AR	0.46% ($18,179 average AGI)
to Washington County, AR	0.44% ($25,556)
to Sevier County, AR	0.34% ($22,000)
to Le Flore County, OK	0.21% ($14,538)
to Scott County, AR	0.18% ($24,182)
to McCurtain County, OK	0.18% ($18,273)
to Garland County, AR	0.16% ($30,100)

Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 14.1
Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 13.3

Births per 1000 population in Polk County

Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 12.6
Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2003: 12.3

Deaths per 1000 population in Polk County

Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 9.9
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2003: 9.3

Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Polk County

Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 4,115 (3,421 aged, 694 disabled)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 22%
Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 20%

Household type by relationship

Households: 20,034

In family households: 17,559 (4,921 male householders, 921 female householders)
4,966 spouses, 5,644 children (4,957 natural, 174 adopted, 513 stepchildren), 380 grandchildren, 74 brothers or sisters, 97 parents, 245 other relatives, 311 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 2,475 (916 male householders (786 living alone)), 1,306 female householders (1,223 living alone)), 253 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 195 (184 institutionalized population)

Size of family households: 2,772 2-persons, 1,267 3-persons, 1,104 4-persons, 445 5-persons, 136 6-persons, 118 7-or-more-persons.

Size of nonfamily households: 2,009 1-person, 199 2-persons, 10 3-persons, 2 4-persons, 2 7-or-more-persons.

95.5% of residents of Polk County speak English at home.
3.2% of residents speak Spanish at home (61% speak English very well, 14% speak English well, 15% speak English not well, 10% don't speak English at all).
0.8% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (76% speak English very well, 15% speak English well, 8% speak English not well).
0.3% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (83% speak English very well, 10% speak English well, 8% speak English not well).
0.2% of residents speak other language at home (95% speak English very well, 5% speak English not well).

In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $127,536,000 ($6348 per capita)
Department of Defense expenditure: $8,651,000
Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $65,619,000
Federal other direct payments to individuals: $30,704,000
Federal direct payments not to individuals: $403,000
Federal grants: $21,567,000
Federal procurement contracts: $1,599,000 ($210,000 Department of Defense)
Federal salaries and wages: $7,643,000 ($2,828,000 Department of Defense)
Federal Government direct loans: $1,059,000
Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $15,232,000
Federal Government insurance: $835,000

Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,390

Here:	69 per 1000 residents
State:	72 per 1000 residents

Deaths: 1,276

Here:	63 per 1000 residents
State:	53 per 1000 residents

Net international migration: +80

Here:	+4 per 1000 residents
State:	+8 per 1000 residents

Net internal migration: -221

Here:	-11 per 1000 residents
State:	+13 per 1000 residents

Population growth in Polk County

Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 1.72 millions of gallons per day (1% from ground, 99% from surface)

Median number of rooms in houses and condos:

Here:	5.3
State:	5.6

Median number of rooms in apartments:

Here:	4.4
State:	4.3

Year house built:

1999 to March 2000: 305
1995 to 1998: 802
1990 to 1994: 792
1980 to 1989: 1,705
1970 to 1979: 1,949
1960 to 1969: 1,309
1950 to 1959: 815
1940 to 1949: 663
1939 or earlier: 896

Rooms in owner-occupied houses in Polk County, Arkansas:
	1 room: 24 2 rooms: 150 3 rooms: 285 4 rooms: 1,116 5 rooms: 1,889 6 rooms: 1,435 7 rooms: 737 8 rooms: 408 9+ rooms: 264

Rooms in renter-occupied apartments in Polk County, Arkansas:
	1 room: 50 2 rooms: 153 3 rooms: 249 4 rooms: 465 5 rooms: 423 6 rooms: 245 7 rooms: 79 8 rooms: 44 9+ rooms: 31

Bedrooms in owner-occupied houses and condos in Polk County:
	no bedroom: 58 1 bedroom: 332 2 bedrooms: 1,869 3 bedrooms: 3,246 4 bedrooms: 657 5+ bedrooms: 146

Bedrooms in renter-occupied apartments in Polk County:
	no bedroom: 68 1 bedroom: 347 2 bedrooms: 696 3 bedrooms: 533 4 bedrooms: 68 5+ bedrooms: 27

Cars and other vehicles available in Polk County in owner-occupied houses/condos:
	no vehicle: 241 1 vehicle: 1,900 2 vehicles: 2,735 3 vehicles: 1,117 4 vehicles: 243 5+ vehicles: 72

Cars and other vehicles available in Polk County in renter-occupied apartments
	no vehicle: 272 1 vehicle: 834 2 vehicles: 539 3 vehicles: 88 4 vehicles: 0 5+ vehicles: 6

57% of Polk County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago.
Out of people who lived in different houses, 59% lived in this county.
Out of people who lived in different counties, 36% lived in Arkansas.

Polk County:	56.9%
State average:	54.0%

Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:

This state: 10689
Northeast: 446
Midwest: 1692
South: 4833
West: 1968

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $38,600

Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 2%

Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 2%

Year Householders Moved Into Unit:

Most commonly used house heating fuel in houses and condos:
	Electricity (33%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (26%) Utility gas (25%) Wood (16%)

Most commonly used house heating fuel in apartments:
	Utility gas (40%) Electricity (27%) Bottled, tank, or LP gas (26%) Wood (7%)

Private vs. public school enrollment:
Students in private schools in grades 1 to 8 (elementary and middle school): 104

Here:	4.4%
Arkansas:	7.4%

Students in private schools in grades 9 to 12 (high school): 99

Here:	8.2%
Arkansas:	6.8%

Students in private undergraduate colleges: 80

Here:	12.3%
Arkansas:	14.7%

Educational Attainment

School Enrollment by Level of School

Age and Sex of Sensory-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Physically-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Mentally-Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Self-Care Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Go-Outside-Home Disabled Residents (Noninstitutionalized)

Age and Sex of Residents with Employment Disability (Noninst.)

Polk County government finances in 2002:

Charges - All Other: $390,000
Construction - General: $70,000
Current Operations - Regular Highways: $2,187,000
Police Protection: $980,000

Corrections - Other: $503,000

Judicial and Legal Services: $278,000

Central Staff Services: $267,000

Financial Administration: $266,000

General - Other: $209,000

General Public Buildings: $139,000

Libraries: $68,000

Health Services - Other: $18,000

Welfare - Other: $12,000
Federal Intergovernmental - All Other: $1,267,000
Intergovernmental to Local NEC - General: $674,000
Miscellaneous - General Revenue, NEC: $557,000
Interest Earnings: $71,000
Other Capital Outlay - Regular Highways: $252,000
General - Other: $139,000

Libraries: $4,000
Other Funds - Cash & Deposits: $1,816,000
State Intergovernmental - Highways: $964,000
General Support: $442,000

All Other: $60,000
Tax - Total General Sales: $1,703,000
Property: $542,000
Total Salaries & Wages: $2,063,000

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Total Number Of Recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of aged recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of blind and disabled recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients under 18

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients between 18 and 64

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients older than 64

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Number of recipients also receiving OASDI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Amount of payments (thousands of dollars)

Polk County Fatal accident statistics for 1975 - 2006:

Fatal accident count (per 100,000 population)