Pope County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Pope County, Arkansas had an estimated 64,829 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 63,381, across 813 square miles. County output reached $4.15 bn in 2024, 1,601 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 30 7(a) approvals worth $20.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Pope County
How many people live in Pope County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202464,131
- Households24,348
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$57,344
- Median age37.0
- Median gross rent$859 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,919
- Population under 1814,816
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over10,574
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,741
- Civilian labor force29,123
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.1 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties12th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included861st of 3,222
Pope County is the 12th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 16.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pope County
Is Pope County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202464,829
- Census 2020 base population63,381
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.28 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024166
- Births, 2024728
- Deaths, 2024629
- Natural change, 202499
- Net domestic migration, 2024-50
- Net international migration, 2024114
- Total net migration, 202464
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,127
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1079th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Pope County
Where are people moving to Pope County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,586
- People arriving, from those returns3,047
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,564
- Net household movement22
- Adjusted gross income arriving$77.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$10.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$48,810
- Average income of a leaving household$42,920
- Largest single originYell County (264 households)
- Largest single destinationYell County (217 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yell County | 264 | 479 | $10.1 m |
| Johnson County | 124 | 270 | $5.0 m |
| Faulkner County | 76 | 129 | $2.8 m |
| Pulaski County | 69 | 109 | $4.1 m |
| Conway County | 56 | 107 | $2.0 m |
| Sebastian County | 38 | 67 | $2.0 m |
| Benton County | 35 | 71 | $2.3 m |
| Washington County | 35 | 59 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $5,890 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 Yell 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.
Pope County
What is the Pope County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$4.15 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years34.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes8th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes787th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,758
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 34.6 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.
Pope County
Employment by industry in Pope County
- Covered employment, annual average26,851
- Establishments reporting1,765
- Average annual pay$50,324
- Average weekly wage$968
- Manufacturing, employment5,009
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$57,000
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,295
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$44,412
- Retail trade, employment3,061
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,659
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,906
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,134
- Construction, employment1,375
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,324
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,009 | 68 | $57,000 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,295 | 292 | $44,412 |
| Retail trade | 3,061 | 240 | $32,659 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,906 | 138 | $21,134 |
| Construction | 1,375 | 183 | $66,112 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,324 | 54 | $54,499 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,257 | 86 | $50,164 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 624 | 148 | $52,132 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,009 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Pope County
How many businesses are in Pope County?
- Establishments, all industries1,601
- Employment at those establishments23,884
- Annual payroll$1.15 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
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.
Pope County
Building permits in Pope County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202453
- Declared construction value permitted$8.8 m
- Single family units authorized46
- Multifamily units authorized7
- Multifamily share of units13.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$165,112
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.2
Single-family homes are 86.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pope County
SBA loans in Pope County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded30
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$20.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$675,877
- Median 7(a) approval$162,500
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,666,000
- Largest single approval$4,270,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)594
- Jobs per approval19.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals24
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 504 approval$604,500
- Median 504 approval$392,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval11.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.7
- Most active CDCSix Bridges Capital Corporation (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$23.9 m
The average approval of $675,877 sits well above the median of $162,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 26.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Pope County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Pope County
Do SBA loans in Pope County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 7 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.
Pope County
SBA lending by place in Pope County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Russellville, approvals25
- Dover, approvals3
- Fayetteville, approvals1
- Pottsville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Russellville | 25 | $18,207,200 |
| Dover | 3 | $1,439,100 |
| Fayetteville | 1 | $567,000 |
| Pottsville | 1 | $63,000 |
Russellville accounts for 25 approvals against 3 in Dover. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pope County
How large is Pope County?
- Land area813 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties16th of 75
- Width, east to west27.6 mi
- Height, north to south41.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land79
- Establishments per square mile1.97
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.
Pope County
Flood risk in Pope County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Pope County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050458
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Pope 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 Pope County (community 050458), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Pope 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Pope 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 Pope County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202464,131
- Households24,348
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$57,344
- Median age37.0
Common questions
Pope County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pope County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 64,829 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 64,131, in 24,348 households, ranking 12th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pope County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base of 63,381, to 64,829 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 728 births against 629 deaths, with net migration of 64. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pope County?
$57,344. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $859 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Pope County?
1,601 establishments, employing 23,884 people with an annual payroll of $1.15 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Pope County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,009 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 26,851 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,324, or $968 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pope County?
30 7(a) approvals totaling $20.3 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $162,500, plus 6 504 approvals worth $3.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Pope County?
53 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.8 m. Multifamily was 13.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pope 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 Pope County come from?
The largest single origin is Yell County, with 264 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,810 against $42,920 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Pope 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 Pope 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.
Pope County
Cities and places in Pope.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Pope County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russellville | city | 29,162 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Pottsville | city | 3,229 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Atkins | city | 2,877 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dover | city | 1,795 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| London | city | 1,217 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hector | town | 334 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Appleton | CDP | 292 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oak Grove | CDP | 91 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 30 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Pope County, the largest being Fayetteville (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.