Desha County, Arkansas

County in AR, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

10,786

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

41.6

years ∙ half population younger than 41.6, half older

Diversity Index

57.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.5%

foreign-born population

96.5%Native

3.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Desha County is a county in Arkansas, United States.

Location

County in AR, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.828752° N, 91.244103° W

DMS33° 49′ 43.51″ N, 91° 14′ 38.77″ W

Population Density & area

14.55/sq mi (5.62/km²)

Total Area

812.7 sq mi (2,105 km²)

Land Area

741.2 sq mi (1,919.8 km²) · 91.2%

Water Area

71.5 sq mi (185.2 km²) · 8.8%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

46.5% male

Male 46.5%

Female 53.5%

males per 100 females

Desha County 86.9

Arkansas 97.5

United States 98

Nativity

3.5%

foreign-born population

96.5%Native

3.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Desha County 3.5%

Arkansas 5.4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.6

years ∙ half population younger than 41.6, half older

Desha County

41.6

Arkansas

38.5

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Desha County 82

Arkansas 68.6

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	24.9%	23.1%	22%
Working age (18-64)	55%	59.3%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.1%	17.6%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	82	68.6	64.4
Child dependency ratio	45.4	39	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	36.6	29.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

42.5%

Black

49%

Asian

Hispanic

7.2%

Other

1.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

57.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Desha County 57.4%

Arkansas 51.2%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Desha County population

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Hispanic or Latino	7.2%	9%	19.3%
Mexican	7.2%	6.3%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	2.4%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	92.8%	91%	80.7%
One race	91.9%	84.7%	76.4%
White	42.5%	67.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	49%	14.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	0%	1.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.4%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	0.9%	6.3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.9% family

Family 63.9%

Non family 36.1%

% family households

Desha County 63.9%

Arkansas 64.6%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.31

persons per household

Desha County

2.31

Arkansas

2.46

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Desha County population

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Total households	4,610	1,205,987	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.31	2.46	2.53
Family households	2,946	779,074	82,990,528
Average family size	2.92	3.06	3.14
Married couple family	1,678	566,646	60,637,388
Other families	1,268	212,428	22,353,140
Male householder	405	57,955	6,572,819
Female householder	863	154,473	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,664	426,913	46,236,968
One-person households	1,541	360,000	37,140,836
Male householder	560	165,673	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	233	51,376	5,225,110
Female householder	981	194,327	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	593	99,092	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	123	66,913	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

5,799

housing units

Desha County 5,799

Arkansas 1,394,673

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

79.5% occupied

Occupied 79.5%

Vacant 20.5%

vacancy rate

Desha County 20.5%

Arkansas 13.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70.8%

Single family houses

70.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

16.7%

Mobile homes

12.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1977

Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

5.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

17.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.3	5.5	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.5%	11.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	72.4%	58.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	19.1%	29.8%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.1%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	6.3%	7.6%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.6%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	57.7%	48.9%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	9.3%	17.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1977	1988	1981
Total housing units	5,799	1,394,673	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

56.8% owners

Renter-occupied 43.2%

Owner-occupied 56.8%

homeownership rate

Desha County 56.8%

Arkansas 66.4%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.22

Owner-occupied

2.43

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Desha County 2.22

Arkansas 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Total occupied units	4,610	1,205,987	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	20.5%	26.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	37.9%	39.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.8%	16%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	25.8%	17.6%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.9%	97.3%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	2.1%	1.8%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	14.6%	5.9%	8.4%
1 vehicle	38.1%	33.2%	33.1%
2 vehicles	32.6%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	14.7%	23.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	38.4%	42.8%	51.4%
Electricity	60.6%	53.7%	41.3%
Solar	0.4%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.3%	2.9%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.6%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.2%	1%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$90,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Desha County

$90,900

Arkansas

$188,000

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

25.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

25.3%

Owners without a mortgage

14.2%

Renters

46.3%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Property value
Median Value	$90,900	$188,000	$332,700
Under $100,000	57.6%	24.4%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.8%	28.6%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	3.7%	21.7%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	3.7%	17.2%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.2%	6.7%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1%	1.4%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	31.7%	52.8%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	68.3%	47.2%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$999	$1,345	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$399	$437	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$718	$947	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

12.6%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Desha County 12.6%

Arkansas 25.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

22.1%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Desha County 22.1%

Arkansas 11.3%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,692

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.6%

K–12

76.8%

College / Undergraduate

12.7%

Graduate / Professional

2.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

24.8%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Desha County

24.8%

Arkansas

33.4%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,692	707,273	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.6%	6.1%	5.7%
K–12	76.8%	71.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.6%	5.3%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	26.6%	21.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.2%	22.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	25.4%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	15.6%	22.2%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.7%	17.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.9%	4.2%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	24.8%	33.4%	40.9%
School type
Public school	92%	86.4%	82%
Private school	8%	13.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

7,357

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

13%

HS graduate

41.1%

Some college no degree

18.8%

Associates degree

5.4%

Bachelors degree

7.2%

Graduate or professional degree

5.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

55.4% · 44.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

50.4% · 49.6%

HS graduate

49.5% · 50.5%

Some college no degree

40.2% · 59.8%

Associates degree

33.5% · 66.5%

Bachelors degree

43.5% · 56.5%

Graduate or professional degree

21.3% · 78.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Population (25+)	7,357	2,059,172	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	9.1%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	13%	7%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	41.1%	34.1%	26%
Some college, no degree	18.8%	20.7%	19.1%
Associate's degree	5.4%	8.2%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.6%	25.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	7.2%	16.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.4%	9.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	77.9%	88.7%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$39,051

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,100

HS graduate

$35,029

Some college or associates

$37,557

Bachelors degree

$49,858

Graduate or professional degree

$51,684

Poverty Rate

7.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

32.2%

HS graduate

24.8%

Some college or associates

23.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Desha County	Arkansas	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$39,051	$44,499	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$25,100	$31,882	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,029	$36,880	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$37,557	$41,256	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$49,858	$57,697	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$51,684	$74,020	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	32.2%	26.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	24.8%	17.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	23.6%	11.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.8%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Desha County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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