Town · Arkansas
Shirley, Arkansas
Shirley, town, in Van Buren County, Arkansas. Shirley had 249 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 248 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 269 (±87). GEOID 0563980.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
249
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 248 · ACS 2020-2024: 269 ±87
Median household income
$37,344
±$23,781 (90% margin)
Arkansas: $60,773
Median home value
$103,100
±$28,994 (90% margin)
Arkansas: $188,000
Median gross rent
not published
Arkansas: $947
Where is Shirley and what county is it in?
Shirley is a town in Van Buren County, Arkansas. It covers 2.4 square miles of land, 103 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 Shirley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 249 people lived in Shirley on July 1, 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than Arkansas (+3.4%). The 2020 Census counted 248 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 269 (±87).
| Measure | Shirley | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 269 ±87 | 15,998 | no clear change |
| Households | 119 ±33 | 7,432 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26 ±0.37 | 2.13 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 153 ±38 | 9,725 | no clear change |
Shirley's population since 2000
From 337 in 2000 to 249 in 2025: down 26.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shirley 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 Shirley?
The median resident of Shirley is 48.8 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.2%.
| Measure | Shirley | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.8 ±11.5 | 49.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.9% ±11.5 pts | 19.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.4% ±9.3 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±8.7 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% ±4.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.0% ±5.2 pts | 91.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±13.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±4.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.3% ±5.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6% ±3.6 pts | 11.1% | – |
| With a disability | 29.0% ±10.9 pts | 24.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.0% ±2.5 pts | 8.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.9% ±7.0 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.2% ±10.7 pts | 15.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.6% ±6.3 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.2% ±12.6 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±2.3 pts | 1.6% | – |
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 Shirley earn?
Half of Shirley's 119 households earn less than $37,344 a year (±$23,781), against $50,354 in Van Buren County and $60,773 in Arkansas. In 2015-2019 it was $43,074 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 27.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Shirley | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,344 ±$23,781 | $50,354 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $59,855 ±$12,587 | $62,356 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,151 ±$5,895 | $28,312 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 27.5% ±14.8 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 57.5% ±36.7 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.7% ±7.5 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.3% ±6.9 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.8% ±12.5 pts | 81.5% | – |
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 Shirley?
Owners occupy 86.6% of Shirley's occupied homes and renters 13.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,100 by its owner (±$28,994).
| Measure | Shirley | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $103,100 ±$28,994 | $135,700 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 37.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,000 ±$420 | $1,201 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.6% ±10.4 pts | 77.9% | +21.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.4% ±10.4 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Housing units | 153 ±38 | 9,725 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 5.5% ±7.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±82.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.7% ±10.3 pts | 70.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 16.3% ±10.3 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±22.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.0% ±3.3 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 17.0% ±9.6 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±27.9 pts | 6.4% | – |
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 do people in Shirley work and get to work?
85.6% of Shirley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 34.9 minutes.
| Measure | Shirley | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 45.1% ±11.2 pts | 44.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.9% ±2.4 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 85.6% ±11.3 pts | 74.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.8% ±5.4 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±30.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 6.7% ±8.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.9% ±4.2 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 34.9 min ±15.0 | 33.2 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 Shirley?
No census tract lies mostly in Shirley; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4603.01Van Buren County | 1,643 | $46,528 |
| Tract 4601Van Buren County | 3,796 | $50,617 |
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 Shirley) · Census block assignment files
How does Shirley compare with other places in Arkansas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shirley is the 15,795th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 349th-most populous of 500 in Arkansas.
Shirley is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 349th | 500 |
Shirley's figures with every place in Arkansas (CSV)
Every place in Arkansas, sortable · Compare Shirley 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 Shirley?
26 of the 56 figures for Shirley 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 Shirley 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 Shirley.