City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Walnut Ridge, AR

Walnut Ridge's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

5,440
Residents
$47,612
Median income
$104,500
Median home
$944
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Walnut Ridge.

Place dossier plate

Sheet AR-WALNUT-RIDGE-AR · Walnut Ridge, AR 5,440 pop · income 16th pct · 6 tracts

POP-TOWN · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-FEW

  • POP-TOWN 5,440
  • INC-MID $47,612
  • COL-BELOW 86.9
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 16th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Roann
  • HOME-LOW $104,500
  • BOOK-FEW 6 tracts

Nearest income peer: Roann, IN (+ $2 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Walnut Ridge

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Walnut Ridge on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Walnut Ridge on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 5,440.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $47,612. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Walnut Ridge - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Walnut Ridge places in the 16th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

16th
percentile, household income
11th
percentile, home value
3rd
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Walnut Ridge, AR

5,440 people live in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Walnut Ridge report a median income of $47,612 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.8%. Walnut Ridge's housing stock carries a median value of $104,500, and the median resident age is 38.0 years. 21.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 10 residential building permits were authorized in Walnut Ridge (Construction Slowdown), down 86% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $944 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $210 across Arkansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Walnut Ridge report an average commute of 23.6 minutes, with 88.5% driving alone and 0.3% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 55.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Walnut Ridge's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist to housing and income to within-city variation to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Walnut Ridge, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

What does the journey to work look like in Walnut Ridge?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 88.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.6 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

2. Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Walnut Ridge?

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

See how the family ranking is built →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Walnut Ridge?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Arkansas, the closest population matches are White Hall (5,520 residents, $84,304 income); Warren (5,342 residents, $35,064 income); Mena (5,605 residents, $50,875 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Palermo, CA (5,440 residents); Cicero, IN (5,441 residents); Chesterbrook, PA (5,439 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

What can 6 Census tracts reveal inside Walnut Ridge?

PlainCities matches 6 Census tracts to this city.

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

Explore Walnut Ridge's tract profiles →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Walnut Ridge?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Value / income
2.2×
Home value
$104,500
Household income
$47,612

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population change

Is Walnut Ridge growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +73 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 10 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

2020 estimate
5,405
2025 estimate
5,478
Period change
+1.4%

Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.

See the national growth ranking →

Population

5,440 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$47,612 /yr

Low income · poverty 17.8% (High poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

City profile score · Walnut Ridge, AR

41/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A+
86.9 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
21.4%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$47,612

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
17.8%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Walnut Ridge profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate. Cost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rate 41 D
Walnut Ridge profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 97/100 (A+) · 86.9 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 38/100 (F) · 21.4%
  • Household income: 17/100 (F) · $47,612
  • Poverty rate: 17/100 (F) · 17.8%

How does Walnut Ridge compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 16% higher than other cities
Home value 11% pricier than other cities
Median rent 3% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Walnut Ridge against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Arkansas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Arkansas-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Walnut Ridge near the bottom of Arkansas's cities

Among the 524 Arkansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Walnut Ridge ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Walnut Ridge only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#251 of 495
49th percentile in Arkansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 524
0th percentile in Arkansas
Median Home Value
#268 of 482
44th percentile in Arkansas
Poverty Rate
#172 of 524
67th percentile in Arkansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#109 of 524
79th percentile in Arkansas
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Arkansas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

16thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

16th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Walnut Ridge's home value compares nationally

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

$104,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 89% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Walnut Ridge $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

Walnut Ridge's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.2×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,432 of 15,516
More affordable than 84% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,284 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.2×, Walnut Ridge sits in the affordable band: national rank #2,432 of 15,516 and #2,284 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$47,612 Walnut Ridge, AR median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Walnut Ridge, AR Walnut Ridge, AR's median household income ($47,612) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Walnut Ridge, AR-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Walnut Ridge, AR median $47,612/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%
Walnut Ridge, AR median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Walnut Ridge, AR.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.4%

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

Population
5,440
Median Income
$47,612
Median Home Value
$104,500
Median Age
38.0
Poverty Rate
17.8%
Labor force participation
51.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.4%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,350 residents5,400 residents5,450 residents5,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,405 residents 5,478 residents ▲ +1.4%
Walnut Ridge's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 5,405 residents
2021 5,408 residents
2022 5,392 residents
2023 5,434 residents
2024 5,481 residents
2025 5,478 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
10
housing units authorized
Single-Family
10
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 69
2020 33
2021 66
2022 44
2023 44
2024 10

Permit volume decreased 86% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.6 minutes
Drive Alone
88.5%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.2%
Work from Home
0.3%
Other
1.9%

Based on 2,245 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Arkansas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $210

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Arkansas at $210 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $42 ).

These are Arkansas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Walnut Ridge. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Arkansas's BEA cost-of-living index is 86.9 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Walnut Ridge is $944/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Arkansas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.5 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Arkansas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Walnut Ridge sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Walnut Ridge compares to similar-size Arkansas cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Walnut Ridge (this city) 5,440 $47,612
White Hall 5,520 $84,304
Warren 5,342 $35,064
Mena 5,605 $50,875
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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