Polk County, Arkansas

Polk County
County
Polk County Courthouse in Mena
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°30′07″N94°14′27″W / 34.501944444444°N 94.240833333333°W / 34.501944444444; -94.240833333333
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Founded	November 30, 1844
Named for	James K. Polk
Seat	Mena
Largest city	Mena
Area
• Total	862 sq mi (2,230 km2)
• Land	858 sq mi (2,220 km2)
• Water	4.8 sq mi (12 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,221
• Estimate  (2023)	19,436
• Density	22/sq mi (8.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,221. ^[1] The county seat is Mena. ^[2] Polk County is Arkansas's 48th county, formed on November 30, 1844; it was named for James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States.

Wet County

Formerly an alcohol prohibition or dry county. However, following a historic mid-term election, Polk County is now a wet county. ^[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 862 square miles (2,230 km²), of which 858 square miles (2,220 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km²) (0.6%) is water. ^[4]

Major highways

• Future Interstate 49
• U.S. Highway 59
• U.S. Highway 71
• U.S. Highway 270
• U.S. Highway 278
• Highway 4
• Highway 8
• Highway 84
• Highway 88

Transit

• Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties

• Scott County (north)
• Montgomery County (east)
• Pike County (southeast)
• Howard County (southeast)
• Sevier County (south)
• McCurtain County, Oklahoma (southwest)
• Le Flore County, Oklahoma (northwest)

National protected area

• Ouachita National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,263		—
1860	4,262		237.5%
1870	3,376		−20.8%
1880	5,857		73.5%
1890	9,283		58.5%
1900	18,352		97.7%
1910	17,216		−6.2%
1920	16,412		−4.7%
1930	14,857		−9.5%
1940	15,832		6.6%
1950	14,182		−10.4%
1960	11,981		−15.5%
1970	13,297		11.0%
1980	17,007		27.9%
1990	17,347		2.0%
2000	20,229		16.6%
2010	20,662		2.1%
2020	19,221		−7.0%
2023 (est.)	19,436	[5]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1790–1960 [7] 1900–1990 [8] 1990–2000 [9] 2010 [10]

Age pyramid Polk County

2020 census

Polk County racial composition ^[12]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	16,092	83.72%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	39	0.2%
Native American	335	1.74%
Asian	100	0.52%
Pacific Islander	9	0.05%
Other/Mixed	1,368	7.12%
Hispanic or Latino	1,278	6.65%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,221 people, 8,243 households, and 5,672 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, ^[13] there were 20,229 people, 8,047 households, and 5,793 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km²). There were 9,236 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.69% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 1.49% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,047 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,180, and the median income for a family was $31,379. Males had a median income of $23,397 versus $17,294 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,063. 18.20% of the population and 14.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.50% were under the age of 18 and 16.20% were 65 or older.

As of 2010 Polk County had a population of 20,662. Of this population 89.77% were non-Hispanic whites, 0.31% were blacks, 1.76% Native Americans, 0.45% Asians, 2.03% non-Hispanics reporting one or more race and 5.76% Hispanic or Latino.

Government

Since 1952, Polk County has been heavily Republican, only voting for the Democratic nominee for president three times since then. It last voted for the Democratic nominee for president in 1992, when it gave Arkansas governor Bill Clinton 43.8 percent of the vote. After this, the county trended rapidly towards Republicans, with the Republican margin of victory increasing in every subsequent election. In 2020, the county gave Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 82.9 percent of the vote, the highest ever vote share for a Republican presidential candidate in the county, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden 14.7 percent of the vote, the lowest ever vote share for a Democratic presidential candidate in the county.

United States presidential election results for Polk County, Arkansas ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,987	84.30%	1,145	13.82%	156	1.88%
2020	7,035	82.86%	1,246	14.68%	209	2.46%
2016	6,618	80.40%	1,212	14.72%	401	4.87%
2012	5,955	77.08%	1,556	20.14%	215	2.78%
2008	5,473	71.25%	1,957	25.48%	251	3.27%
2004	5,192	66.57%	2,473	31.71%	134	1.72%
2000	4,600	63.95%	2,315	32.18%	278	3.86%
1996	2,852	42.70%	2,824	42.28%	1,003	15.02%
1992	2,757	38.20%	3,162	43.81%	1,298	17.99%
1988	4,099	62.15%	2,390	36.24%	106	1.61%
1984	5,181	70.15%	2,101	28.45%	104	1.41%
1980	3,993	58.51%	2,617	38.35%	214	3.14%
1976	2,432	40.76%	3,505	58.75%	29	0.49%
1972	3,609	74.83%	1,120	23.22%	94	1.95%
1968	2,094	40.30%	1,290	24.83%	1,812	34.87%
1964	2,022	43.88%	2,575	55.88%	11	0.24%
1960	1,882	51.82%	1,635	45.02%	115	3.17%
1956	1,832	58.29%	1,287	40.95%	24	0.76%
1952	1,756	55.91%	1,379	43.90%	6	0.19%
1948	554	25.89%	1,417	66.21%	169	7.90%
1944	764	43.09%	999	56.35%	10	0.56%
1940	585	31.49%	1,255	67.55%	18	0.97%
1936	537	30.95%	1,170	67.44%	28	1.61%
1932	223	11.90%	1,568	83.67%	83	4.43%
1928	1,022	53.34%	870	45.41%	24	1.25%
1924	502	31.49%	863	54.14%	229	14.37%
1920	1,173	46.27%	1,208	47.65%	154	6.07%
1916	448	26.51%	1,242	73.49%	0	0.00%
1912	162	11.08%	694	47.47%	606	41.45%
1908	628	37.88%	824	49.70%	206	12.42%
1904	476	40.44%	528	44.86%	173	14.70%
1900	411	29.63%	922	66.47%	54	3.89%
1896	51	4.78%	1,004	94.10%	12	1.12%

Popular culture

Polk County is the setting for Stephen Hunter's fictional Bob Lee Swagger series, the most notable being Black Light , as well as the place where Joel B Reed's fictional character, Jazz Phillips, of the Jazz Phillips mystery series, grew up.

Communities

Cities

• Mena (county seat)
• Wickes

Towns

• Cove
• Grannis
• Hatfield
• Vandervoort

Census-designated places

• Acorn
• Board Camp

Other unincorporated communities

• Ink

Townships

Townships in Polk County, Arkansas as of 2010

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, the United 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 Polk County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. ^{[15] [16]}

• Acorn (small part of Mena)
• Big Fork
• Cedar
• Center (most of Mena)
• Cove (Hatfield)
• Eagle
• Faulkner
• Freedom
• Fulton
• Gap Springs
• Mill Creek
• Mountain
• Ouachita
• Ozark (Grannis, Wickes)
• Potter (small part of Mena)
• Rich Mountain
• White (Cove, Vandervoort)

See also

• List of lakes in Polk County, Arkansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Arkansas
• Osro Cobb

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Polk County, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 21, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Eperson, Andrew (November 10, 2022). "Alcohol sales approved in Hot Spring, Polk Counties". KARK. Little Rock, Arkansas: Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
5. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
8. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
11. Based on 2000 census data
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" . Retrieved November 18, 2016.
15. 2011 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS): Polk County, AR (PDF) (Map). U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
16. "Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 29, 2014.

External links

• Polk County, Arkansas entry on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture

34°30′07″N94°14′27″W / 34.50194°N 94.24083°W / 34.50194; -94.24083