City profile · Arkansas · Census ACS 2023

Walnut Ridge, AR

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

5,440
Residents
$47,612
Median income
$104,500
Median home
$880
Median rent (state)

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. Median household income here is $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 $880 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 67.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

5,440 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arkansas

Median Household Income

$47,612 /yr

Poverty 17.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

86.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arkansas average

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

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 Walnut Ridge'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.

16thIncome percentile

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

$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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Walnut Ridge, AR Walnut Ridge, AR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Walnut Ridge, 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 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'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 Walnut Ridge, AR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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

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.

Housing Supply

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

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

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 Walnut Ridge 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
67.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arkansas

White Hall
5,520 people
Warren
5,342 people
Mena
5,605 people
Berryville
5,715 people
Tontitown
5,739 people
Cave Springs
5,778 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Walnut Ridge's 5,440 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Palermo, CA
5,440 people
Cicero, IN
5,441 people
Chesterbrook, PA
5,439 people
Smiths Station, AL
5,443 people
Douglass Hills, KY
5,437 people
Lyons, NJ
5,444 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Walnut Ridge's $47,612 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Roann, IN
$47,614 median income
South Carthage, TN
$47,610 median income
Alton, MO
$47,606 median income
Alpena, MI
$47,604 median income
Tryon, NC
$47,604 median income
Marmet, WV
$47,620 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Walnut Ridge, 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 Walnut Ridge, AR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.2% White 92.4% Black or African American 1.7% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 5.3% 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 Walnut Ridge 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
Walnut Ridge (this city) 5,440 $47,612
White Hall 5,520 $84,304
Warren 5,342 $35,064
Mena 5,605 $50,875
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Walnut Ridge, AR?

What is the population of Walnut Ridge, AR? +

5,440 people live in Walnut Ridge, AR according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Walnut Ridge, AR? +

Walnut Ridge households earn a median of $47,612 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Walnut Ridge? +

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

What is the median home value in Walnut Ridge, AR? +

A typical home in Walnut Ridge is worth $104,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

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.