City · Arkansas
Brinkley, Arkansas
Brinkley, city, in Monroe County, Arkansas. Brinkley had 2,468 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 8.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,700 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,596 (±51). GEOID 0508950.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,468
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,700 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,596 ±51
Median household income
$38,996
±$6,920 (90% margin)
Arkansas: $60,773
Median home value
$94,000
±$5,186 (90% margin)
Arkansas: $188,000
Median gross rent
$608
±$77 (90% margin)
Arkansas: $947
Where is Brinkley and what county is it in?
Brinkley is a city in Monroe County, Arkansas. It covers 5.7 square miles of land, 475 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Brinkley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,468 people lived in Brinkley on July 1, 2025, down 8.7% since 2020, while Arkansas grew 3.4%. The 2020 Census counted 2,700 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,596 (±51).
| Measure | Brinkley | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,596 ±51 | 6,589 | −146 |
| Households | 1,202 ±163 | 2,790 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.10 ±0.27 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,580 ±143 | 3,829 | no clear change |
Brinkley's population since 2000
From 3,940 in 2000 to 2,468 in 2025: down 37.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Brinkley as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Brinkley?
The median resident of Brinkley is 49.1 years old; 19.8% are under 18 and 25.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 60.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 36.0%.
| Measure | Brinkley | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.1 ±4.8 | 45.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.8% ±3.9 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.0% ±4.2 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Male | 47.7% ±6.1 pts | 47.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.8% ±1.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 36.0% ±6.6 pts | 52.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 60.1% ±6.8 pts | 40.2% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8% ±1.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.7% ±2.9 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 24.3% ±5.0 pts | 24.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.4% ±5.0 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 79.8% ±6.6 pts | 81.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.0% ±6.8 pts | 12.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.8% ±2.2 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.5% ±6.9 pts | 88.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Brinkley earn?
Half of Brinkley's 1,202 households earn less than $38,996 a year (±$6,920), against $43,214 in Monroe County and $60,773 in Arkansas. In 2015-2019 it was $44,955 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Brinkley | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,996 ±$6,920 | $43,214 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $49,778 ±$9,102 | $61,151 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,793 ±$3,809 | $27,317 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.7% ±9.8 pts | 20.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 47.6% ±26.0 pts | 25.2% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.5% ±8.2 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.8% ±5.4 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.9% ±8.0 pts | 82.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Brinkley?
Owners occupy 58.9% of Brinkley's occupied homes and renters 41.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $94,000 by its owner (±$5,186). The median renter pays $608 a month including utilities, and 28.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Brinkley | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $94,000 ±$5,186 | $88,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $608 ±$77 | $614 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.4% ±18.3 pts | 30.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $878 ±$288 | $1,046 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 58.9% ±11.6 pts | 62.6% | +16.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 41.1% ±11.6 pts | 37.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,580 ±143 | 3,829 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 10.4% ±8.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.2% ±8.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.9% ±7.9 pts | 69.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.4% ±3.9 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.2% ±3.6 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.9% ±9.0 pts | 14.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Brinkley building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Brinkley in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 5.0 across Arkansas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Brinkley work and get to work?
90.1% of Brinkley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 16.7%.
| Measure | Brinkley | Monroe County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.1% ±7.1 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 16.7% ±6.4 pts | 9.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 90.1% ±7.1 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.8% ±4.1 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.4% ±4.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.7% ±3.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min ±4.8 | 29.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Brinkley?
1 census tract lies mostly in Brinkley, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Monroe County | 2,835 | $38,985 |
| Tract 9503Monroe County | 1,407 | $52,111 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Brinkley) · Census block assignment files
How does Brinkley compare with other places in Arkansas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Brinkley is the 6,955th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 116th-most populous of 500 in Arkansas.
Brinkley ranks 161st of 194 places in Arkansas with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 116th | 500 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 172nd | 182 |
| Residents per square mile | 137th | 197 |
| Median household income | 161st | 194 |
| Per capita income | 131st | 197 |
| Median home value | 163rd | 193 |
| Median gross rent | 170th | 186 |
| Poverty rate | 43rd | 172 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 131st | 189 |
| Median age | 17th | 196 |
| Owner-occupied share | 120th | 197 |
| Travel time to work | 28th | 197 |
Brinkley's figures with every place in Arkansas (CSV)
Every place in Arkansas, sortable · Compare Brinkley with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Brinkley?
19 of the 57 figures for Brinkley on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Brinkley are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Brinkley.