West Helena, Arkansas | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 34°32′45″N90°38′40″W / 34.54583°N 90.64444°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Arkansas |
County | Phillips |
Area | |
• Total | 4.4 sq mi (11.5 km2) |
• Land | 4.4 sq mi (11.5 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 253 ft (77 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 8,689 |
• Density | 1,956.6/sq mi (755.4/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 72390 |
Area code | 870 |
FIPS code | 05-74450 |
GNIS feature ID | 0058852 [1] |
West Helena is the western portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 8,689.
Historically, West Helena and its sister city Helena, located on the Mississippi River, have been two of the focal points in the history of the development of the blues.[ citation needed ] The cities consolidated on January 1, 2006. Helena is the birthplace of Arkansas' former senior United States senator, Blanche Lincoln.
West Helena is located at 34°32′45″N90°38′40″W / 34.54583°N 90.64444°W (34.545702, -90.644346). [2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, West Helena had a total area of 4.4 square miles (11 km2), all of it land.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1920 | 6,226 | — | |
1930 | 4,489 | −27.9% | |
1940 | 4,717 | 5.1% | |
1950 | 6,107 | 29.5% | |
1960 | 8,385 | 37.3% | |
1970 | 11,007 | 31.3% | |
1980 | 11,367 | 3.3% | |
1990 | 9,695 | −14.7% | |
2000 | 8,565 | −11.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [3] |
As of the census [4] of 2000, there were 8,689 people, 3,204 households, and 2,223 families residing in West Helena. The population density was 1,956.6 inhabitants per square mile (755.4/km2). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 792.2 per square mile (305.9/km2). The racial makeup of West Helena was 32.77% White, 65.69% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,204 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 29.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.32.
In West Helena, the population was spread out, with 34.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.5 males.
The median income for a household in West Helena was $21,130, and the median income for a family was $25,014. Males had a median income of $22,971 versus $17,225 for females. The per capita income for West Helena was $11,234. About 30.9% of families and 35.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.5% of those under age 18 and 27.2% of those age 65 or over.
Helena-West Helena School District operates schools in what was West Helena.
Schools in the former West Helena. [5]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, West Helena has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [11]
Phillips County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, in what is known as the Arkansas Delta along the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,568. The county seat is Helena–West Helena.
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Lake View is a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 443 at the 2010 census. Because there is also a Lakeview in Baxter County, many residents want to rename Lakeview to "Lake Helena". The original settlement name was "Turkey Scratch" from the 1850s to the official declaration of the town's namesake was in the 1920s. When the town was re-established in 1937, Lake View became one of three communities in Arkansas to be reserved for black farm families by the Resettlement Administration. It is one of the few communities in the U.S. with an African-American percentage at over 90 percent of the populations.
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Central High School 103 School Road West Helena, AR 72390
Central High School 103 School Road West Helena, AR 72390
Beechcrest Elementary School 1020 Plaza West Helena, AR 72390
Westside Elementary School 339 S. Ashlar St. West Helena, AR 72390
Woodruff Elementary School 805 Cleburne West Helena, AR 72390