Polk County, Arkansas

Wet county

Pol County was formerly under an alcohol prohibition as a dry county. However, following a historic mid-term election in 2022, Polk County is now a wet county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 862 sqmi, of which 858 sqmi is land and 4.8 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Major highways

• [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|20px]] Future Interstate 49
• [[Image:US 59.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 59
• [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
• [[Image:US 270.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 270
• [[Image:US 278.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 278
• [[Image:Arkansas 4.svg|20px]] Highway 4
• [[Image:Arkansas 8.svg|20px]] Highway 8
• [[Image:Arkansas 84.svg|20px]] Highway 84
• [[Image:Arkansas 88.svg|20px]] Highway 88

Transit

• Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties

• Scott County (north)
• Montgomery County (east)
• Pike County (southeast)
• Howard County (southeast)
• Sevier County (south)
• McCurtain County, Oklahoma (southwest)
• Le Flore County, Oklahoma (northwest)

National protected area

• Ouachita National Forest (part)

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,221. The median age was 45.2 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 85.5% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian,

28.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,992 households in the county, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,612 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 20,229 people, 8,047 households, and 5,793 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 /mi2. There were 9,236 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.69% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 1.49% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,047 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,180, and the median income for a family was $31,379. Males had a median income of $23,397 versus $17,294 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,063. 18.20% of the population and 14.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.50% were under the age of 18 and 16.20% were 65 or older.

As of 2010 Polk County had a population of 20,662. Of this population 89.77% were non-Hispanic whites, 0.31% were blacks, 1.76% Native Americans, 0.45% Asians, 2.03% non-Hispanics reporting one or more race and 5.76% Hispanic or Latino.

Government

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Polk County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 7 Republicans and 2 Independents. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

• District 1: Chris Daniel (I)
• District 2: Jeremy Jones (R)
• District 3: Levi Ellison (R)
• District 4: James P. Looney (R)
• District 5: Troy Lunsford (R)
• District 6: Tommy Floyd (R)
• District 7: Tawana L. Gilbert (R)
• District 8: Terry Scott (I)
• District 9: Mitchell Ray Tidwell (R)

Additionally, the townships of Polk County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:

• Gap Springs: John Deming (R)
• Mountain: Donald D. Davis (R)
• Potter: Eddie Price (R)

Politics

Since 1952, Polk County has been heavily Republican, only voting for the Democratic nominee for president three times since then. It last voted for the Democratic nominee for president in 1992, when it gave Arkansas governor Bill Clinton 43.8 percent of the vote. After this, the county trended rapidly towards Republicans, with the Republican margin of victory increasing in every subsequent election. In 2020, the county gave Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 82.9 percent of the vote, the highest ever vote share for a Republican presidential candidate in the county, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden 14.7 percent of the vote, the lowest ever vote share for a Democratic presidential candidate in the county.

Popular culture

Polk County is the setting for Stephen Hunter's fictional Bob Lee Swagger series, the most notable being Black Light, as well as the place where Joel B Reed's fictional character, Jazz Phillips, of the Jazz Phillips mystery series, grew up.

Communities

Cities

• Mena (county seat)
• Wickes

Towns

• Cove
• Grannis
• Hatfield
• Vandervoort

Census-designated places

• Acorn
• Board Camp

Other unincorporated communities

• Ink

Townships

|access-date = August 12, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019144620/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05113_polk/BAS11C20511300000_000.pdf |archive-date = October 19, 2012

• Acorn (small part of Mena)
• Big Fork
• Cedar
• Center (most of Mena)
• Cove (Hatfield)
• Eagle
• Faulkner
• Freedom
• Fulton
• Gap Springs
• Mill Creek
• Mountain
• Ouachita
• Ozark (Grannis, Wickes)
• Potter (small part of Mena)
• Rich Mountain
• White (Cove, Vandervoort)

References

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Polk County, Arkansas". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (November 10, 2022). "Alcohol sales approved in Hot Spring, Polk Counties". Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
4. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
5. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
8. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
9. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
13. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
14. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
15. "Quorum Courts".
16. "Office of County Judge".
17. "Polk {{!}} Association of Arkansas Counties".
18. "2022 General Election - County, District Officials".
19. "Polk County, Arkansas, elections, 2024".
20. "What is a Constable?".
21. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
22. "Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision". [[United States Census Bureau]].