City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Pine Bluff, AR

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

40,436
Residents
$41,250
Median income
$86,400
Median home
$937
Median rent (state)

Pine Bluff - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Pine Bluff lands in the 9th percentile for household income and the 2nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

9th
percentile, household income
5th
percentile, home value
9th
percentile, median rent
2nd
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: Pine Bluff, AR

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 40,436 residents in Pine Bluff, a small city within Arkansas. The typical household in Pine Bluff brings in $41,250 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.0%. Home values in Pine Bluff run a median of $86,400, and the median resident age is 36.7 years. Educational attainment runs 21.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 48.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 13 residential building permits were authorized in Pine Bluff (Rapid Growth), up 30% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Pine Bluff's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6128.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Pine Bluff's yearly average temperature at 63.1°F with 53.6 inches of precipitation per year and 2.5 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Arkansas run below the national norm: the state registers 86.9 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $937 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Arkansas run around $210, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 85.2 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

40,436 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas

Median Household Income

$41,250 /yr

Poverty 22.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

How does Pine Bluff compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 9% higher than other cities
Home value 5% pricier than other cities
Median rent 9% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Arkansas alone, Pine Bluff ranks #157 of 160 Arkansas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

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 Pine Bluff'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.

9thIncome percentile
2ndSafety percentile

9th percentile nationally for median household income · 2nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Pine Bluff's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Pine Bluff'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 35 Avg. percentile National median
Pine Bluff'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 Pine Bluff's home value compares nationally

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

$86,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 95% 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%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Pine Bluff $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 - Pine Bluff, AR Pine Bluff, AR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Pine Bluff, 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 Pine Bluff, AR median $41,250/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%
Pine Bluff, 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 Pine Bluff, AR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 22.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 48.0%

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

Population
40,436
Median Income
$41,250
Median Home Value
$86,400
Median Age
36.7
Poverty Rate
22.0%
Labor force participation
48.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6128.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1580.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
4547.8
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
63.1°F
Annual Precipitation
53.6"
Annual Snowfall
2.5"

Schools

Total Schools
18
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
37,000 residents38,000 residents39,000 residents40,000 residents41,000 residents42,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 40,977 residents 38,213 residents ▼ -6.7%
Pine Bluff's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
13
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
8
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 10
2020 10
2021 10
2022 30
2023 39
2024 13

Permit volume increased 30% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
84.2%
Carpool
6.4%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
6.4%

Based on 15,225 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 Pine Bluff sits in

Cost of Living Index
86.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$937/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
85.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arkansas

Hot Springs
38,023 people
Benton
35,954 people
Sherwood
32,915 people
Bella Vista
30,935 people
Paragould
29,940 people
Texarkana
29,343 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Pine Bluff's 40,436 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Crystal Lake, IL
40,436 people
DeKalb, IL
40,464 people
Woodlawn CDP (Baltimore County), MD
40,476 people
New Berlin, WI
40,384 people
Lake Oswego, OR
40,367 people
Bartlett, IL
40,531 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Pine Bluff's $41,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Gu-Win, AL
$41,250 median income
Mount Vernon, AL
$41,250 median income
Kaltag, AK
$41,250 median income
Sanford, CO
$41,250 median income
Hampton, FL
$41,250 median income
Medley, FL
$41,250 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Pine Bluff, 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 Pine Bluff, AR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 17.4% 77.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.8% White 17.4% Black or African American 77.4% Asian 0.7% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 2.9% 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 Pine Bluff 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
Pine Bluff (this city) 40,436 $41,250
Hot Springs 38,023 $46,441
Benton 35,954 $69,638
Sherwood 32,915 $79,157
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Pine Bluff, AR?

What is the population of Pine Bluff, AR? +

Pine Bluff, AR counts 40,436 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Pine Bluff, AR? +

The median household income in Pine Bluff is $41,250 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Pine Bluff? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Pine Bluff; 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 Pine Bluff, AR safe? +

Pine Bluff has a total crime rate of 6128.6 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Pine Bluff, AR? +

A typical home in Pine Bluff is worth $86,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Pine Bluff? +

Pine Bluff has an average annual temperature of 63.1°F, 53.6 inches of precipitation, and 2.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.