HomeArkansasSt. Francis County
St. Francis County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
St. Francis County, Arkansas had an estimated 21,822 residents on July 1, 2024, down 5.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 23,090, across 635 square miles. County output reached $943.1 m in 2024, 404 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $5.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
St. Francis County
How many people live in St. Francis County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,400
- Households7,783
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$42,574
- Median age40.1
- Median gross rent$779 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$90,900
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,925
- Population under 184,753
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over4,008
- Share 65 and over17.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,639
- Civilian labor force8,421
- Unemployment rate9.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.7 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties27th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1756th of 3,222
St. Francis County is the 27th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 17.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
St. Francis County
Is St. Francis County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202421,822
- Census 2020 base population23,090
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.49 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-244
- Births, 2024251
- Deaths, 2024350
- Natural change, 2024-99
- Net domestic migration, 2024-202
- Net international migration, 202456
- Total net migration, 2024-146
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,091
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3014th of 3,144
The county has lost 5.49 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.
St. Francis County
Where are people moving to St. Francis County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving422
- People arriving, from those returns876
- Tax returns filed by households leaving473
- Net household movement-51
- Adjusted gross income arriving$12.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$30,355
- Average income of a leaving household$32,036
- Largest single originCross County (63 households)
- Largest single destinationCross County (78 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross County | 63 | 160 | $2.2 m |
| Crittenden County | 37 | 79 | $1.3 m |
| Lee County | 35 | 72 | $1.0 m |
| Shelby County | 34 | 80 | $893,000 |
| Craighead County | 27 | 55 | $537,000 |
| Pulaski County | 20 | 35 | $482,000 |
Households arriving report $1,681 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cross 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.
St. Francis County
What is the St. Francis County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$943.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$919.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years21.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes31st of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1889th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$42,103
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 21.6 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.
St. Francis County
Employment by industry in St. Francis County
- Covered employment, annual average6,723
- Establishments reporting585
- Average annual pay$48,570
- Average weekly wage$934
- Retail trade, employment872
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,912
- Accommodation and food services, employment539
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,145
- Wholesale trade, employment512
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$59,734
- Transportation and warehousing, employment217
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$53,333
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment174
- Finance and insurance, employment123
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 872 | 75 | $29,912 |
| Accommodation and food services | 539 | 46 | $18,145 |
| Wholesale trade | 512 | 30 | $59,734 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 217 | 22 | $53,333 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 174 | 38 | $47,381 |
| Finance and insurance | 123 | 24 | $44,436 |
| Utilities | 80 | 5 | $88,887 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 69 | 23 | $32,233 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 872 jobs, 13.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
St. Francis County
How many businesses are in St. Francis County?
- Establishments, all industries404
- Employment at those establishments4,813
- Annual payroll$185.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.0
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.
St. Francis County
Building permits in St. Francis County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$859,530
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$286,510
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.4
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.
St. Francis County
SBA loans in St. Francis County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$978,750
- Median 7(a) approval$678,600
- Largest single approval$3,110,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)19
- Jobs per approval3.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term150 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
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
St. Francis County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in St. Francis County
Do SBA loans in St. Francis County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 1 loan has 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.
St. Francis County
SBA lending by place in St. Francis County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Forrest City, approvals4
- Palestine, approvals1
- Caldwell, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Forrest City | 4 | $5,327,800 |
| Palestine | 1 | $457,200 |
| Caldwell | 1 | $87,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
St. Francis County
How large is St. Francis County?
- Land area635 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties41st of 75
- Width, east to west42.6 mi
- Height, north to south19.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land35
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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.
St. Francis County
Flood risk in St. Francis County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community St. Francis County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050184
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in St. Francis 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 St. Francis County (community 050184), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places St. Francis 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. 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 St. Francis 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 St. Francis County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,400
- Households7,783
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$42,574
- Median age40.1
Common questions
St. Francis County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in St. Francis County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 21,822 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 22,400, in 7,783 households, ranking 27th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is St. Francis County's population growing?
The population has fallen 5.49 percent since the 2020 census base of 23,090, to 21,822 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 251 births against 350 deaths, with net migration of -146. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in St. Francis County?
$42,574. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $90,900, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $779 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in St. Francis County?
404 establishments, employing 4,813 people with an annual payroll of $185.3 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 St. Francis County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 872 jobs, 13.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,723 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,570, or $934 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in St. Francis County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $5.9 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $678,600. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in St. Francis County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $859,530. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for St. Francis 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 St. Francis County come from?
The largest single origin is Cross County, with 63 households. Arriving households report an average income of $30,355 against $32,036 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for St. Francis 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 St. Francis 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.
St. Francis County
Cities and places in St. Francis.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in St. Francis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest City | city | 12,646 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Hughes | city | 886 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Palestine | city | 800 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Colt | city | 510 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Madison | city | 476 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Caldwell | town | 441 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Wheatley | city | 374 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Widener | town | 238 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Goodwin | CDP | 56 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby