City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Searcy, AR

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

23,115
Residents
$50,896
Median income
$176,200
Median home
$880
Median rent (state)

Searcy - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Searcy lands in the 21st percentile for household income and the 20th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

21st
percentile, household income
35th
percentile, home value
3rd
percentile, median rent
20th
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: Searcy, AR

Arkansas's Searcy is a small city, with 23,115 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Searcy households earn a median of $50,896 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.0%. Searcy's housing stock carries a median value of $176,200, and the median resident age is 31.1 years. About 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 49.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 76 residential building permits were authorized in Searcy (Growing), up 9% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2667.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 61.8°F with 51.8 inches of precipitation per year and 1.8 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $880 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $210 across Arkansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 85.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

23,115 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas

Median Household Income

$50,896 /yr

Poverty 17.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

How does Searcy compare to other US cities?

Where Searcy sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 35% pricier than other cities
Median rent 3% pricier than other cities
Safety 20% 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, Searcy ranks #118 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 Searcy'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.

21stIncome percentile
20thSafety percentile

21st percentile nationally for median household income · 20th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Searcy's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Searcy'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 41 Avg. percentile National median
Searcy'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 Searcy's home value compares nationally

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

$176,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 65% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Searcy $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 - Searcy, AR Searcy, AR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Searcy, 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 Searcy, AR median $50,896/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%
Searcy, 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 Searcy, AR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.7%

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

Population
23,115
Median Income
$50,896
Median Home Value
$176,200
Median Age
31.1
Poverty Rate
17.0%
Labor force participation
49.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2667.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
398.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2269.0
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
61.8°F
Annual Precipitation
51.8"
Annual Snowfall
1.8"

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
22,500 residents23,000 residents23,500 residents24,000 residents24,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 22,955 residents 24,351 residents ▲ +6.1%
Searcy's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
76
housing units authorized
Single-Family
74
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 70
2020 52
2021 45
2022 538
2023 72
2024 76

Permit volume increased 9% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.3%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
5.4%
Work from Home
3.8%
Other
0.7%

Based on 9,165 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 Searcy sits in

Cost of Living Index
86.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$880/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
85.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arkansas

Van Buren
23,545 people
West Memphis
24,147 people
Bryant
21,125 people
Centerton
20,212 people
Cabot
26,733 people
Maumelle
19,286 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Searcy's 23,115 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Hazel Dell, WA
23,086 people
Jasmine Estates, FL
23,151 people
Oakdale, CA
23,155 people
Horizon City, TX
23,069 people
Cottage Lake, WA
23,170 people
Maywood, IL
23,173 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Searcy's $50,896 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bayshore Gardens, FL
$50,896 median income
Archer, FL
$50,893 median income
Taneyville, MO
$50,893 median income
Cove City, NC
$50,893 median income
High Shoals, NC
$50,893 median income
Creekside, PA
$50,893 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Searcy, 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 Searcy, AR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.8% 11.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.0% White 80.8% Black or African American 11.0% Asian 1.3% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.6% Two or more races 5.0% 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 Searcy 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
Searcy (this city) 23,115 $50,896
Van Buren 23,545 $59,420
West Memphis 24,147 $41,860
Bryant 21,125 $83,219
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Searcy, AR?

What is the population of Searcy, AR? +

Searcy, AR has a population of 23,115 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Searcy is $50,896 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Searcy? +

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

Searcy has a total crime rate of 2667.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near 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 Searcy, AR? +

The median home value in Searcy is $176,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Searcy? +

Searcy has an average annual temperature of 61.8°F, 51.8 inches of precipitation, and 1.8 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

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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.