White County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
White County, Arkansas had an estimated 79,091 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 76,825, across 1,035 square miles. County output reached $3.31 bn in 2024, 1,637 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 40 7(a) approvals worth $26.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
White County
How many people live in White County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202477,838
- Households29,629
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$55,249
- Median age38.8
- Median gross rent$850 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$163,600
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over51,455
- Population under 1818,039
- Share under 1823.2 percent
- Population 65 and over13,200
- Share 65 and over17.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6446,599
- Civilian labor force35,093
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.7 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties9th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included741st of 3,222
White County is the 9th 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 23.2 percent against 17.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
White County
Is White County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202479,091
- Census 2020 base population76,825
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.95 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024568
- Births, 2024919
- Deaths, 2024967
- Natural change, 2024-48
- Net domestic migration, 2024580
- Net international migration, 202427
- Total net migration, 2024607
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,662
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents883rd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.95 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.
White County
Where are people moving to White County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,000
- People arriving, from those returns3,989
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,661
- Net household movement339
- Adjusted gross income arriving$98.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$18.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$49,027
- Average income of a leaving household$47,981
- Largest single originLonoke County (284 households)
- Largest single destinationLonoke County (229 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lonoke County | 284 | 606 | $13.7 m |
| Pulaski County | 209 | 392 | $11.9 m |
| Faulkner County | 114 | 214 | $4.9 m |
| Cleburne County | 106 | 213 | $3.9 m |
| Independence County | 59 | 129 | $2.1 m |
| Woodruff County | 54 | 108 | $1.8 m |
| Jackson County | 50 | 110 | $2.0 m |
| Craighead County | 40 | 73 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $1,046 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 Lonoke 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.
White County
What is the White County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.10 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.8 percent
- GDP change over five years43.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes13th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes914th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$42,531
Output grew 6.8 percent in the latest year and 43.9 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.
White County
Employment by industry in White County
- Covered employment, annual average26,169
- Establishments reporting1,804
- Average annual pay$46,050
- Average weekly wage$886
- Retail trade, employment3,726
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,649
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,977
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,841
- Manufacturing, employment2,558
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,944
- Transportation and warehousing, employment2,020
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$58,839
- Construction, employment1,649
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment864
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3,726 | 290 | $33,649 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,977 | 168 | $18,841 |
| Manufacturing | 2,558 | 56 | $52,944 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,020 | 66 | $58,839 |
| Construction | 1,649 | 185 | $54,314 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 864 | 87 | $38,818 |
| Finance and insurance | 689 | 104 | $61,500 |
| Wholesale trade | 614 | 84 | $56,783 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 3,726 jobs, 14.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
White County
How many businesses are in White County?
- Establishments, all industries1,637
- Employment at those establishments23,543
- Annual payroll$976.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.0
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.
White County
Building permits in White County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024205
- Declared construction value permitted$36.2 m
- Single family units authorized167
- Multifamily units authorized38
- Multifamily share of units18.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$176,463
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.9
Single-family homes are 81.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
White County
SBA loans in White County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded40
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$26.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$665,265
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,045,500
- Largest single approval$4,824,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)317
- Jobs per approval7.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active24
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter27
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals7.5 percent
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 504 approval$1,194,333
- Median 504 approval$846,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved3.3
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$30.2 m
The average approval of $665,265 sits well above the median of $250,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 27.5 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.
White County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in White County
Do SBA loans in White County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure26
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 4 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.
White County
SBA lending by place in White County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Searcy, approvals19
- Beebe, approvals10
- Kensett, approvals2
- Judsonia, approvals2
- Mount Vernon, approvals2
- McRae, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Searcy | 19 | $10,295,000 |
| Beebe | 10 | $6,148,000 |
| Kensett | 2 | $1,692,000 |
| Judsonia | 2 | $587,000 |
| Mount Vernon | 2 | $561,400 |
| McRae | 1 | $4,824,000 |
| Griffithville | 1 | $2,068,000 |
| Jacksonville | 1 | $250,000 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 2 | $185,200 |
Searcy accounts for 19 approvals against 10 in Beebe. 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.
White County
How large is White County?
- Land area1,035 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties2nd of 75
- Width, east to west43.6 mi
- Height, north to south35.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land75
- Establishments per square mile1.58
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.
White County
Flood risk in White County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community White County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050467
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book16
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in White 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 White County (community 050467), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places White 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. 75.0 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 White 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 White County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202477,838
- Households29,629
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$55,249
- Median age38.8
Common questions
White County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in White County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 79,091 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 77,838, in 29,629 households, ranking 9th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is White County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.95 percent since the 2020 census base of 76,825, to 79,091 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 919 births against 967 deaths, with net migration of 607. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in White County?
$55,249. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,600, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $850 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in White County?
1,637 establishments, employing 23,543 people with an annual payroll of $976.3 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 White County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 3,726 jobs, 14.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 26,169 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,050, or $886 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in White County?
40 7(a) approvals totaling $26.6 m since FY2020, across 24 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $3.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in White County?
205 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $36.2 m. Multifamily was 18.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for White 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 White County come from?
The largest single origin is Lonoke County, with 284 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,027 against $47,981 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for White 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 White 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.
White County
Cities and places in White.
18 Census places lie wholly or partly in White County. All 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searcy | city | 23,340 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Beebe | city | 8,707 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Bald Knob | city | 2,518 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Judsonia | city | 2,052 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Kensett | city | 1,937 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Higginson | town | 1,055 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Floyd | CDP | 881 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rose Bud | town | 656 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| McRae | city | 623 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Bradford | city | 522 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Pangburn | city | 515 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| El Paso | CDP | 470 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Griffithville | town | 249 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Russell | town | 218 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Letona | town | 213 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garner | town | 175 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Point | town | 93 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Georgetown | town | 40 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 40 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in White County, the largest being Mount Vernon (2), Jacksonville (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.