Is Arkansas's population growing or shrinking?
Refreshed annually
It grew by 18,700 between 2024 and 2025. That’s more than the population of the city of El Dorado. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. Arkansas’s 0.6% annual increase was primarily driven by people moving from other states. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, Arkansas’s population grew by 4.9%.
+18.7K
population change (2024 to 2025)
+0.6%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, Arkansas's population increased in 25 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2005 and 2006, when it gained 40,700 residents. The state's smallest increase during the 21st century occurred between 2012 and 2013 when it gained 5,800 residents.
Arkansas gained 18,700 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change, 1901–2025
What contributes to population change in Arkansas?
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was negative in Arkansas, with deaths exceeding births by 1,200.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Arkansas’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 5,500 more people coming from another country to Arkansas than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: Arkansas’s population change from domestic migration was positive, with about 14,500 more people moving to Arkansas from other states than leaving.
Between 2024 and 2025, domestic migration was the primary driver of population growth in Arkansas.
Components of population change, 2011–2025
Which counties in Arkansas are growing? Which are shrinking?
Among 75 county equivalents, Benton County had the largest population growth in Arkansas, welcoming 10,553 new residents. Jefferson County lost the most, with a loss of 618 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2025.
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Benton County led Arkansas in percent population increase between 2024 and 2025 at 3.3 percent. Desha County ranked last with a 3.1 percent decline.
Between 2024 and 2025, Benton County gained 3.3% in population, the largest increase in Arkansas.
Population change
How does population change in Arkansas compare to other states?
Between 2015 and 2025, Arkansas’s population has increased by 4.9%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. Arkansas ranks 26th among states in population growth over that decade.
Arkansas ranked 26th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
Population change between 2024 and 2025, by county in Arkansas
| County | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Benton County, AR | +3.3% |
| 2. | Madison County, AR | +1.9% |
| 3. | Washington County, AR | +1.4% |
| 4. | Faulkner County, AR | +1.4% |
| 5. | White County, AR | +1.2% |
| 6. | Saline County, AR | +1.2% |
| 7. | Scott County, AR | +1% |
| 8. | Grant County, AR | +0.86% |
| 9. | Greene County, AR | +0.83% |
| 10. | Izard County, AR | +0.74% |
Population change between 2015 and 2025, by state
| State | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Idaho | +22% |
| 2. | Utah | +17.9% |
| 3. | Florida | +16.5% |
| 4. | Texas | +15.8% |
| 5. | Nevada | +14.9% |
| 6. | South Carolina | +14.8% |
| 7. | Arizona | +13.7% |
| 8. | North Carolina | +12.4% |
| 9. | Delaware | +12.2% |
| 10. | Washington state | +11.4% |
How is the US population changing?
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
