Population
136 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas
City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023
Bethesda, AR
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bethesda - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 136
- Residents
- $85,500
- Median income
- $891
- Median rent (state)
Bethesda - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Bethesda places in the 67th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 67th
- percentile, household income
- 4th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Bethesda, AR
136 people live in Bethesda, Arkansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $85,500 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. The median resident age is 39.9 years. About 0.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 76.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Arkansas scores 86.9 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $891 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Arkansas run around $210, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Bethesda report an average commute of 58.9 minutes, with 87.1% driving alone and 12.9% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 69.1 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
Median Household Income
$85,500 /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
86.9 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average
How does Bethesda compare to other US cities?
Where Bethesda sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 67% higher than other cities
Median rent 4% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bethesda's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Arkansas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
67th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 0.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 76.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
136
Median Income
$85,500
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
39.9
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
76.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
0.0%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
58.9 minutes
Drive Alone
87.1%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
12.9%
Based on 93 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Arkansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$58
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$210
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Arkansas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Arkansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bethesda sits in
Cost of Living Index
86.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$891/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
69.1 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Arkansas
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bethesda's 136 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bethesda's $85,500 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Bethesda compares to nearby Arkansas cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Bethesda (this city) | 136 | $85,500 |
| Uniontown | 136 | N/A |
| Black Springs | 138 | N/A |
| Casa | 134 | $85,500 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Bethesda, AR?
What is the population of Bethesda, AR? +
The population of Bethesda, AR stands at 136 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Bethesda, AR? +
In Bethesda, the typical household earns $85,500 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Bethesda? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bethesda; the closest available measure is the Arkansas state average, a cost of living index of 86.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Arkansas vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities EditorialEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.