City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Hughes, AR

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Hughes - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

898
Residents
$26,850
Median income
$74,000
Median home
$923
Median rent (state)

Hughes - the verdict

Nationally, Hughes sits in the 2nd percentile for household income and the 62nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

2nd
percentile, household income
2nd
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
62nd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Hughes, AR

Arkansas's Hughes is a small town, with 898 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Hughes brings in $26,850 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 27.1%. Typical homes in Hughes are valued around $74,000, and the median resident age is 48.6 years. 6.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 41.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Hughes (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Hughes reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1027.8 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Arkansas at 86.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $923 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Arkansas's average monthly utility costs around $210 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 74.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

898 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas

Median Household Income

$26,850 /yr

Poverty 27.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

How does Hughes compare to other US cities?

Here's how Hughes stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Home value 2% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
Safety 62% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Arkansas and the picture shifts: Hughes ranks #39 of 160 Arkansas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

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 Hughes'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.

2ndIncome percentile
62ndSafety percentile

2nd percentile nationally for median household income · 62nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Hughes's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Hughes's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 53 Avg. percentile National median
Hughes's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Hughes's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$74,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 98% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Hughes $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Hughes, AR Hughes, AR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Hughes, AR-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Hughes, AR median $26,850/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Hughes, AR's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Hughes, AR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 27.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 41.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
898
Median Income
$26,850
Median Home Value
$74,000
Median Age
48.6
Poverty Rate
27.1%
Labor force participation
41.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1027.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
102.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
925.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
950 residents1,000 residents1,050 residents1,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,052 residents 976 residents ▼ -7.2%
Hughes's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
92.6%
Carpool
2.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
2.5%
Other
2.4%

Based on 324 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 Hughes sits in

Cost of Living Index
86.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$923/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
74.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arkansas

Higginson
901 people
Wickes
895 people
Magazine
893 people
Desha
908 people
Stephens
916 people
Mammoth Spring
871 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Hughes's 898 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rosendale, NY
898 people
Schroon Lake, NY
898 people
Millersport, OH
898 people
Glenmoore, PA
898 people
Shinglehouse, PA
898 people
Fowlkes, TN
898 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Hughes's $26,850 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lake Timberline, MO
$26,838 median income
El Paraiso comunidad, PR
$26,838 median income
White Hills, AZ
$26,836 median income
Onamia, MN
$26,827 median income
Cotton Valley, LA
$26,875 median income
MacArthur, WV
$26,824 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Hughes, AR Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Hughes, AR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 41.0% 54.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.1% White 41.0% Black or African American 54.4% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.1% Two or more races 1.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Hughes 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
Hughes (this city) 898 $26,850
Higginson 901 $66,806
Wickes 895 $28,429
Magazine 893 $49,375
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Hughes, AR?

What is the population of Hughes, AR? +

The population of Hughes, AR stands at 898 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Hughes, AR? +

Median annual household income in Hughes runs $26,850, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Hughes? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Hughes; 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.

Is Hughes, AR safe? +

Hughes has a total crime rate of 1027.8 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Hughes, AR? +

Hughes's median home value sits at $74,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census BPS 2024, 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 Editorial

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Every 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.