Cleveland County, Arkansas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Cleveland County is located in Arkansas with a total population of 7,453. It is the 69th most populous county out of 75 in Arkansas. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cleveland County is 44.1 years. This is 15% higher than the state median of 38.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cleveland County is $54,794. This is 10% lower than the state median of $60,773. It is also 32% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.8%. This is 1% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.0%. The unemployment rate is 2.2%. This is 56% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $137,600. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $188,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Cleveland County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 24% higher than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cleveland County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.5% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 12.6%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 9.0%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

19.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 23% lower than the state rate of 25.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cleveland County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Arkansas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.