Howard County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
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 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
| Coordinates:34°08′10″N93°59′14″W / 34.136111111111°N 93.987222222222°W /34.136111111111; -93.987222222222 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | April 17, 1873 |
| Seat | Nashville |
| Largest city | Nashville |
| Area | |
• Total | 595 sq mi (1,540 km2) |
| • Land | 589 sq mi (1,530 km2) |
| • Water | 6.8 sq mi (18 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,785 |
• Estimate (2024) | 12,387 |
| • Density | 21.7/sq mi (8.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | https://www.arcounties.org/counties/howard/ |
Howard County is acounty located in the U.S. state ofArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 12,785.[1] Thecounty seat isNashville.[2] Howard County is Arkansas's 74th county, formed on April 17, 1873, and named for James Howard,[3] a state senator. It is adry county.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 595 square miles (1,540 km2), of which 589 square miles (1,530 km2) is land and 6.8 square miles (18 km2) (1.1%) is water.[4]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 9,917 | — | |
| 1890 | 13,789 | 39.0% | |
| 1900 | 14,076 | 2.1% | |
| 1910 | 16,898 | 20.0% | |
| 1920 | 18,565 | 9.9% | |
| 1930 | 17,489 | −5.8% | |
| 1940 | 16,621 | −5.0% | |
| 1950 | 13,342 | −19.7% | |
| 1960 | 10,878 | −18.5% | |
| 1970 | 11,412 | 4.9% | |
| 1980 | 13,459 | 17.9% | |
| 1990 | 13,569 | 0.8% | |
| 2000 | 14,300 | 5.4% | |
| 2010 | 13,789 | −3.6% | |
| 2020 | 12,785 | −7.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 12,387 | [5] | −3.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 12,785.[11]
The median age was 40.6 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over.[12]
The racial makeup of the county was 63.9%White, 20.7%Black or African American, 0.9%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 8.1% from some other race, and 5.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.9% of the population.[11]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 5,096 households in the county, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.4% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 6,152 housing units, of which 17.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.8% were owner-occupied and 31.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 15.3%.[12]
As of the2000 census,[14] there were 14,300 people, 5,471 households, and 3,922 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km2). There were 6,297 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 73.60%White, 21.86%Black orAfrican American, 0.41%Native American, 0.50%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 2.76% fromother races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 5.08% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 4.75% reported speakingSpanish at home, while 1.73% speakGerman.[15]
There were 5,471 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% weremarried couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,699, and the median income for a family was $34,510. Males had a median income of $28,086 versus $17,266 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,586. About 11.90% of families and 15.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.10% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution of Arkansas and theArkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are calledjustices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Howard County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is thecounty judge, who serves as thechief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.[16][17]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Brent Pinkerton | Republican |
| County Clerk | Keri Teague | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Angie Lewis | Democratic |
| Sheriff/Collector | Bryan McJunkins | Republican |
| Treasurer | Sheri Mixon | Republican |
| Assessor | Cindy Butler | Republican |
| Coroner | Matthew Smith | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 5 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent, with one seat currently vacant. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[18][20]
Over the past few election cycles, Howard County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democratic presidential candidate (as of 2024) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 294 | 17.41% | 1,392 | 82.42% | 3 | 0.18% |
| 1900 | 585 | 36.22% | 986 | 61.05% | 44 | 2.72% |
| 1904 | 500 | 39.03% | 644 | 50.27% | 137 | 10.69% |
| 1908 | 610 | 35.24% | 967 | 55.86% | 154 | 8.90% |
| 1912 | 321 | 24.06% | 760 | 56.97% | 253 | 18.97% |
| 1916 | 545 | 29.27% | 1,317 | 70.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 1,208 | 44.94% | 1,452 | 54.02% | 28 | 1.04% |
| 1924 | 338 | 23.12% | 954 | 65.25% | 170 | 11.63% |
| 1928 | 763 | 41.76% | 1,055 | 57.74% | 9 | 0.49% |
| 1932 | 165 | 8.82% | 1,703 | 91.02% | 3 | 0.16% |
| 1936 | 275 | 16.02% | 1,437 | 83.69% | 5 | 0.29% |
| 1940 | 419 | 21.24% | 1,540 | 78.05% | 14 | 0.71% |
| 1944 | 576 | 27.20% | 1,538 | 72.62% | 4 | 0.19% |
| 1948 | 199 | 12.05% | 1,250 | 75.67% | 203 | 12.29% |
| 1952 | 944 | 38.64% | 1,492 | 61.07% | 7 | 0.29% |
| 1956 | 1,329 | 47.72% | 1,428 | 51.27% | 28 | 1.01% |
| 1960 | 1,225 | 44.79% | 1,366 | 49.95% | 144 | 5.27% |
| 1964 | 1,649 | 53.84% | 1,320 | 43.10% | 94 | 3.07% |
| 1968 | 1,286 | 32.09% | 1,061 | 26.48% | 1,660 | 41.43% |
| 1972 | 2,682 | 71.50% | 1,069 | 28.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,575 | 32.94% | 3,207 | 67.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,386 | 47.12% | 2,564 | 50.63% | 114 | 2.25% |
| 1984 | 3,079 | 63.72% | 1,746 | 36.13% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1988 | 2,510 | 57.87% | 1,818 | 41.92% | 9 | 0.21% |
| 1992 | 1,728 | 34.73% | 2,764 | 55.56% | 483 | 9.71% |
| 1996 | 1,478 | 31.91% | 2,741 | 59.18% | 413 | 8.92% |
| 2000 | 2,326 | 52.16% | 2,063 | 46.27% | 70 | 1.57% |
| 2004 | 2,736 | 55.35% | 2,166 | 43.82% | 41 | 0.83% |
| 2008 | 2,957 | 61.02% | 1,746 | 36.03% | 143 | 2.95% |
| 2012 | 2,892 | 64.81% | 1,471 | 32.97% | 99 | 2.22% |
| 2016 | 3,157 | 67.54% | 1,351 | 28.90% | 166 | 3.55% |
| 2020 | 3,367 | 69.65% | 1,340 | 27.72% | 127 | 2.63% |
| 2024 | 3,246 | 72.57% | 1,158 | 25.89% | 69 | 1.54% |
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, theUnited States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Howard County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[22][23]
Places adjacent to Howard County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofHoward County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
34°08′10″N93°59′14″W / 34.13611°N 93.98722°W /34.13611; -93.98722
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