Ouachita County, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Ouachita County Courthouse in Camden | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
| Coordinates:33°36′00″N92°55′00″W / 33.6°N 92.916666666667°W /33.6; -92.916666666667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | November 29, 1842 |
| Named after | Ouachita River |
| Seat | Camden |
| Largest city | Camden |
| Area | |
• Total | 740 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Land | 733 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Water | 7.0 sq mi (18 km2) 0.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,650 |
• Estimate (2024) | 21,684 |
| • Density | 30.9/sq mi (11.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Ouachita County (/ˈwɑːʃɪtɑː/WAH-shih-tah) is acounty located in the south central part of theU.S. state ofArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 22,650.[1]
Thecounty seat isCamden.[2] Ouachita County is part of the Camden, ARMicropolitan Statistical Area. Formed on November 29, 1842, the county is named for theOuachita River.
Until the late 20th century, the county was aDemocratic Party stronghold, aided by the state's having disenfranchised most African Americans at the turn of the century. As in much of the rest of the South, conservative whites, who constitute the majority of the population in the county, have shifted into theRepublican Party. In 1972,U.S. PresidentRichard M. Nixon became the firstRepublican presidential nominee in the 20th century to win a majority in Ouachita County. Much later, in the2008 presidential election,U.S. SenatorJohn McCain won the county by nearly ten percentage votes over SenatorBarack Obama, following PresidentGeorge W. Bush's victory over SenatorJohn F. Kerry in 2004.
The politically influential Pryor family is based here; they include two U.S. senators,David Pryor (serving 1978–1997) and his sonMark Pryor (elected 2002). The elder Pryor also served as a former governor of Arkansas and US Congressman. The county is served by a daily newspaper,The Camden News.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 740 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 733 square miles (1,900 km2) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km2) (0.9%) is water.[3]
The county had its peak of population in 1950.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 9,591 | — | |
| 1860 | 12,936 | 34.9% | |
| 1870 | 12,975 | 0.3% | |
| 1880 | 11,758 | −9.4% | |
| 1890 | 17,033 | 44.9% | |
| 1900 | 20,892 | 22.7% | |
| 1910 | 21,774 | 4.2% | |
| 1920 | 20,636 | −5.2% | |
| 1930 | 29,890 | 44.8% | |
| 1940 | 31,151 | 4.2% | |
| 1950 | 33,051 | 6.1% | |
| 1960 | 31,641 | −4.3% | |
| 1970 | 30,896 | −2.4% | |
| 1980 | 30,541 | −1.1% | |
| 1990 | 30,574 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 28,790 | −5.8% | |
| 2010 | 26,120 | −9.3% | |
| 2020 | 22,650 | −13.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 21,684 | [4] | −4.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790–1960[6] 1900–1990[7] 1990–2000[8] 2010[9] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 22,650. The median age was 44.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.9 males age 18 and over.[10][11]
The racial makeup of the county was 53.8%White, 39.3%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 5.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.[11]
43.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 56.4% lived in rural areas.[12]
There were 9,944 households in the county, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.4% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
There were 11,837 housing units, of which 16.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.1% were owner-occupied and 32.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.8%.[10]
As of the2010 census, there were 26,120 people living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 56.3% White, 39.9% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the2000 census,[13] there were 28,790 people, 11,613 households, and 8,071 families living in the county. The population density was 39 inhabitants per square mile (15/km2). There were 13,450 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 59.74%White, 38.64%Black orAfrican American, 0.25%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.26% fromother races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 11,613 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,341, and the median income for a family was $35,736. Males had a median income of $30,976 versus $18,800 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,118. About 16.10% of families and 19.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 18.60% 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 Ouachita County Quorum Court has eleven 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.[14][15]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Robbie McAdoo | Democratic |
| County Clerk | Sherri Hunter | Independent |
| Circuit Clerk | Gladys Nettles | Democratic |
| Sheriff/Collector | David Norwood | Democratic |
| Treasurer | Melinda Chambers | Republican |
| Assessor | Tonya McKenzie | Democratic |
| Coroner | Todd McAteer | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[16][18]
Over the past few election cycles Ouachita County has trended towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county wasAl Gore in 2000.
In 2020, the county saw an increase in third party votes compared to 2016, whereas the national trend was a significant drop of third party support.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 1,029 | 42.77% | 1,366 | 56.77% | 11 | 0.46% |
| 1900 | 1,143 | 50.18% | 1,120 | 49.17% | 15 | 0.66% |
| 1904 | 974 | 46.89% | 1,083 | 52.14% | 20 | 0.96% |
| 1908 | 1,505 | 55.76% | 1,166 | 43.20% | 28 | 1.04% |
| 1912 | 793 | 42.29% | 913 | 48.69% | 169 | 9.01% |
| 1916 | 970 | 40.84% | 1,405 | 59.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 1,141 | 46.12% | 1,307 | 52.83% | 26 | 1.05% |
| 1924 | 952 | 41.18% | 1,318 | 57.01% | 42 | 1.82% |
| 1928 | 1,051 | 39.92% | 1,582 | 60.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 432 | 12.15% | 3,118 | 87.66% | 7 | 0.20% |
| 1936 | 262 | 8.53% | 2,808 | 91.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 284 | 8.77% | 2,951 | 91.08% | 5 | 0.15% |
| 1944 | 473 | 13.04% | 3,154 | 86.93% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1948 | 476 | 9.88% | 3,315 | 68.80% | 1,027 | 21.32% |
| 1952 | 2,171 | 26.68% | 5,936 | 72.96% | 29 | 0.36% |
| 1956 | 2,819 | 34.68% | 5,188 | 63.82% | 122 | 1.50% |
| 1960 | 2,439 | 29.77% | 5,169 | 63.10% | 584 | 7.13% |
| 1964 | 3,572 | 33.39% | 7,056 | 65.96% | 70 | 0.65% |
| 1968 | 2,209 | 18.65% | 4,603 | 38.87% | 5,031 | 42.48% |
| 1972 | 6,620 | 62.68% | 3,931 | 37.22% | 11 | 0.10% |
| 1976 | 2,753 | 23.53% | 8,946 | 76.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 4,329 | 35.46% | 7,152 | 58.58% | 727 | 5.96% |
| 1984 | 6,700 | 51.19% | 5,858 | 44.76% | 531 | 4.06% |
| 1988 | 6,297 | 52.29% | 5,229 | 43.42% | 517 | 4.29% |
| 1992 | 3,711 | 29.89% | 7,411 | 59.69% | 1,293 | 10.41% |
| 1996 | 3,136 | 29.56% | 6,635 | 62.54% | 838 | 7.90% |
| 2000 | 4,739 | 45.59% | 5,464 | 52.56% | 192 | 1.85% |
| 2004 | 5,345 | 50.19% | 5,188 | 48.71% | 117 | 1.10% |
| 2008 | 5,427 | 54.49% | 4,346 | 43.63% | 187 | 1.88% |
| 2012 | 5,521 | 53.52% | 4,633 | 44.92% | 161 | 1.56% |
| 2016 | 5,351 | 53.86% | 4,321 | 43.49% | 263 | 2.65% |
| 2020 | 5,294 | 54.98% | 3,995 | 41.49% | 340 | 3.53% |
| 2024 | 5,056 | 58.61% | 3,412 | 39.55% | 158 | 1.83% |
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 Ouachita County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[20][21]
Places adjacent to Ouachita County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofOuachita County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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