Sharp County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Sharp County, Arkansas had an estimated 18,130 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,276, across 604 square miles. County output reached $579.8 m in 2024, 342 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $10.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Sharp County
How many people live in Sharp County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,773
- Households6,856
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$44,637
- Median age47.1
- Median gross rent$766 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$105,100
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,894
- Population under 183,622
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,531
- Share 65 and over25.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,620
- Civilian labor force6,558
- Unemployment rate8.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over46.3 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties39th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1996th of 3,222
Sharp County is the 39th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.5 percent against 20.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sharp County
Is Sharp County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202418,130
- Census 2020 base population17,276
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.94 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024176
- Births, 2024175
- Deaths, 2024265
- Natural change, 2024-90
- Net domestic migration, 2024265
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024269
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,322
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents541st of 3,144
The county has grown 4.94 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sharp County
Where are people moving to Sharp County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving675
- People arriving, from those returns1,339
- Tax returns filed by households leaving524
- Net household movement151
- Adjusted gross income arriving$29.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$9.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$43,524
- Average income of a leaving household$38,290
- Largest single originIndependence County (88 households)
- Largest single destinationIndependence County (104 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence County | 88 | 193 | $2.8 m |
| Fulton County | 50 | 117 | $1.9 m |
| Craighead County | 37 | 78 | $1.8 m |
| Izard County | 27 | 59 | $908,000 |
| Lawrence County | 20 | 42 | $574,000 |
Households arriving report $5,234 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 Independence 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.
Sharp County
What is the Sharp County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$579.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$502.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202415.3 percent
- GDP change over five years78.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes51st of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2302nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$32,624
Output grew 15.3 percent in the latest year and 78.1 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.
Sharp County
Employment by industry in Sharp County
- Covered employment, annual average3,954
- Establishments reporting405
- Average annual pay$38,491
- Average weekly wage$740
- Retail trade, employment740
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,392
- Manufacturing, employment292
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$46,773
- Finance and insurance, employment158
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$71,706
- Construction, employment112
- Construction, average annual pay$48,246
- Other services, except public administration, employment84
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment63
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 740 | 65 | $28,392 |
| Manufacturing | 292 | 14 | $46,773 |
| Finance and insurance | 158 | 26 | $71,706 |
| Construction | 112 | 29 | $48,246 |
| Other services, except public administration | 84 | 28 | $32,944 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 63 | 17 | $48,550 |
| Wholesale trade | 60 | 16 | $26,042 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 38 | 14 | $32,788 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 740 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sharp County
How many businesses are in Sharp County?
- Establishments, all industries342
- Employment at those establishments2,833
- Annual payroll$90.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.2
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.
Sharp County
Building permits in Sharp County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202426
- Declared construction value permitted$5.0 m
- Single family units authorized26
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$191,138
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.8
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.
Sharp County
SBA loans in Sharp County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$577,833
- Median 7(a) approval$323,450
- Largest single approval$2,615,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)50
- Jobs per approval2.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term150 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderFNBC Bank (8)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sharp County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Sharp County
Do SBA loans in Sharp County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 12 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.
Sharp County
SBA lending by place in Sharp County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending9
- Williford, approvals3
- Ash Flat, approvals3
- Evening Shade, approvals2
- Cave City, approvals2
- Hardy, approvals2
- Cherokee Village, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Williford | 3 | $3,415,000 |
| Ash Flat | 3 | $765,200 |
| Evening Shade | 2 | $2,595,200 |
| Cave City | 2 | $1,117,700 |
| Hardy | 2 | $357,500 |
| Cherokee Village | 2 | $229,500 |
| Sidney | 2 | $163,600 |
| Ravenden | 1 | $952,300 |
| 1 other borrower city | 1 | $805,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sharp County
How large is Sharp County?
- Land area604 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties55th of 75
- Width, east to west25.2 mi
- Height, north to south41.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.57
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.
Sharp County
Flood risk in Sharp County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Sharp County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050464
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Sharp County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Sharp County (community 050464), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Sharp County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 80.0 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 Sharp 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 Sharp County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,773
- Households6,856
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$44,637
- Median age47.1
Common questions
Sharp County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sharp County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 18,130 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,773, in 6,856 households, ranking 39th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sharp County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.94 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,276, to 18,130 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 175 births against 265 deaths, with net migration of 269. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sharp County?
$44,637. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,100, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $766 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Sharp County?
342 establishments, employing 2,833 people with an annual payroll of $90.8 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 Sharp County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 740 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,954 jobs at an average annual pay of $38,491, or $740 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sharp County?
18 7(a) approvals totaling $10.4 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $323,450. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Sharp County?
26 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sharp County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Sharp County come from?
The largest single origin is Independence County, with 88 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,524 against $38,290 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sharp 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 Sharp 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.
Sharp County
Cities and places in Sharp.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Sharp County. All 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Village | city | 5,046 | 2 | 53.3 percent here, 46.7 percent Fulton County |
| Cave City | city | 2,090 | 2 | 87.2 percent here, 12.8 percent Independence County |
| Highland | city | 1,354 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ash Flat | city | 1,217 | 3 | 86.7 percent here, 13.3 percent Fulton County |
| Hardy | city | 890 | 2 | 91.5 percent here, 8.5 percent Fulton County |
| Ozark Acres | CDP | 670 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Evening Shade | city | 534 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Sidney | town | 175 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Williford | town | 71 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 18 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Sharp County, the largest being Ravenden (1), Sulphur Rock (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.