Phillips County, Arkansas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Phillips County is located in Arkansas with a total population of 15,450. It is the 50th most populous county out of 75 in Arkansas. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Phillips County is 40.9 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 38.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Phillips County is $40,134. This is 34% lower than the state median of $60,773. It is also 50% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 29.3%. This is 84% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 14.5%. This is 194% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $78,200. Housing costs are 58% lower than the state median of $188,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.9x, Phillips County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 51.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 23% lower than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Phillips County is Black or African American, making up 60.2% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 32.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (32.9%) is well below the state average of 67.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (60.2% vs 14.6%). The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 9.0%.

Education

15.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 80.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Phillips 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.