Hempstead County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Hempstead County, Arkansas had an estimated 19,105 residents on July 1, 2024, down 4.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,065, across 728 square miles. County output reached $1.32 bn in 2024, 378 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $7.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Hempstead County
How many people live in Hempstead County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,508
- Households7,479
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$46,787
- Median age41.2
- Median gross rent$815 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$105,700
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,149
- Population under 184,933
- Share under 1825.3 percent
- Population 65 and over3,641
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,934
- Civilian labor force7,763
- Unemployment rate5.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.3 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties34th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1911th of 3,222
Hempstead County is the 34th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.3 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hempstead County
Is Hempstead County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202419,105
- Census 2020 base population20,065
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.78 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-216
- Births, 2024204
- Deaths, 2024305
- Natural change, 2024-101
- Net domestic migration, 2024-136
- Net international migration, 202423
- Total net migration, 2024-113
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-725
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2966th of 3,144
The county has lost 4.78 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hempstead County
Where are people moving to Hempstead County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving377
- People arriving, from those returns700
- Tax returns filed by households leaving404
- Net household movement-27
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$38,812
- Average income of a leaving household$38,738
- Largest single originHoward County (60 households)
- Largest single destinationNevada County (61 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 60 | 123 | $2.6 m |
| Miller County | 47 | 79 | $1.6 m |
| Nevada County | 35 | 72 | $1.1 m |
| Bowie County | 34 | 58 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $74 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Howard County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Hempstead County
What is the Hempstead County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.32 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.24 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years31.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes24th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1617th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$67,820
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 31.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Hempstead County
Employment by industry in Hempstead County
- Covered employment, annual average7,628
- Establishments reporting502
- Average annual pay$45,282
- Average weekly wage$871
- Manufacturing, employment2,158
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$55,531
- Retail trade, employment748
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,289
- Accommodation and food services, employment597
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,134
- Wholesale trade, employment184
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$43,638
- Construction, employment152
- Transportation and warehousing, employment145
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,158 | 29 | $55,531 |
| Retail trade | 748 | 67 | $29,289 |
| Accommodation and food services | 597 | 40 | $19,134 |
| Wholesale trade | 184 | 24 | $43,638 |
| Construction | 152 | 25 | $49,277 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 145 | 22 | $55,356 |
| Utilities | 131 | 5 | $106,698 |
| Other services, except public administration | 110 | 35 | $41,599 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,158 jobs, 28.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hempstead County
How many businesses are in Hempstead County?
- Establishments, all industries378
- Employment at those establishments5,839
- Annual payroll$249.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hempstead County
Building permits in Hempstead County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$605,281
- Single family units authorized2
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$302,641
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hempstead County
SBA loans in Hempstead County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,220,050
- Median 7(a) approval$512,500
- Largest single approval$3,395,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)44
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term128 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$365,000
- Average 504 approval$365,000
- Median 504 approval$365,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval16.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved43.8
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$7.7 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hempstead County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Hempstead County
Do SBA loans in Hempstead County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hempstead County
How large is Hempstead County?
- Land area728 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties25th of 75
- Width, east to west29.3 mi
- Height, north to south36.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.52
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hempstead County
Flood risk in Hempstead County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Hempstead County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050436
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate57.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Hempstead County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Hempstead County (community 050436), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Hempstead County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 57.1 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Hempstead County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Hempstead County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,508
- Households7,479
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$46,787
- Median age41.2
Common questions
Hempstead County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hempstead County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 19,105 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,508, in 7,479 households, ranking 34th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hempstead County's population growing?
The population has fallen 4.78 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,065, to 19,105 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 204 births against 305 deaths, with net migration of -113. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hempstead County?
$46,787. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,700, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $815 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Hempstead County?
378 establishments, employing 5,839 people with an annual payroll of $249.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Hempstead County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,158 jobs, 28.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,628 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,282, or $871 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hempstead County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $7.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $512,500, plus 1 504 approvals worth $365,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Hempstead County?
2 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $605,281. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hempstead County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Hempstead County come from?
The largest single origin is Howard County, with 60 households. Arriving households report an average income of $38,812 against $38,738 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hempstead County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Hempstead County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Hempstead County
Cities and places in Hempstead.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Hempstead County. All 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hope | city | 8,671 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Emmet | city | 435 | None recorded | 3.3 percent here, 96.7 percent Nevada County |
| Perrytown | town | 251 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fulton | town | 189 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blevins | city | 167 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Washington | city | 93 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McNab | town | 73 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McCaskill | town | 46 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ozan | town | 43 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Patmos | town | 38 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oakhaven | town | 34 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Saratoga | CDP | 18 | None recorded | 63.5 percent here, 36.5 percent Howard County |
Nearby