Little Rock, Arkansas Population 2023

201,029

Little Rock is a city located in Pulaski County Arkansas. It is also the county seat of Pulaski County. With a 2023 population of 201,029, it is the largest city in Arkansas and the 122nd largest city in the United States.Little Rock is currently declining at a rate of -0.24% annually and its population has decreased by -0.72% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 202,484 in 2020. Spanning over 123 miles, Little Rock has a population density of 1,675 people per square mile.

The average household income in Little Rock is $83,730 with a poverty rate of 18.75%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Little Rock is 36.5 years, 33.9 years for males, and 38.4 years for females.

Little Rock is the capital and largest city in the state of Arkansas, and it's located near the very center of Arkansas. Little Rock is found in Pulaski County, and it was founded in 1821.

The larger urban area has a population of 432,000 (88th in the U.S.), while the metropolitan area has a population of 726,000 (75th largest in the country). The Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area has a population of 900,000.

Little Rock Population Growth

Central Arkansas, including Little Rock, is currently leading the state in population growth with a growth rate estimated at 2%. The area is expected to grow slowly but steadily in the years to come with more young people looking for homes in the urban core of Little Rock. The area's fastest-growing sector is retail, and the city is developing an entrepreneurial culture that is expected to bring in more young college graduates.

Little Rock Facts

  • Little Rock s named for a small rock formation on the bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche, which is French for "the little rock." This formation was used as a landmark during early river traffic.
  • Two ships of the U.S. Navy are named for Little Rock, including the U.S.S. Little Rock.
  • Little Rock and its surrounding areas are headquarters for some of the largest non-profit organizations in the world, including The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Arkansas, Clinton Presidential Center, Clinton Foundation, Heifer International and Winrock International.
  • In 2013, Little Rock was named as the best place to live among metro areas with less than one million people by Kiplinger.
  • Little Rock Central High School pushed Little Rock into the spotlight in 1957 when it became the site of the first test of the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v Board of Education, holding racial segregation unconstitutional. Nine black students, or the Little Rock Nine, made history when, with the protection of the U.S. Army, they entered the school.

The Little Rock area was first inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Original inhabitants included the Bluff Dwellers, Folsom people, and Mississippian culture peoples, who constructed earthwork mounds that were recorded in 1541 by Spaniard Hernando de Soto, the first explorer of the area who was followed by Jean-Baptiste Benard de La Harpe in 1722. The first settlement was Arkansas Post, a French trading post founded in 1686 at the mouth of the river. By 1769, there were many families of mixed French and Indian origin in the area.

In 1803, the United States acquired the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase. A treaty between the United States and Osage people in 1808 ended the tribe's claim on the area, and more settlers arrived, most of whom were squatters as the land was not offered for sale until 1815. Arkansas became part of the Missouri Territory when Louisiana became a state in 1812, and the Territory of Arkansas was created in 1819. Little Rock was chosen as the territorial capital two years later, and the city of Little Rock was founded and incorporated in 1831.

In 1819, Little Rock was nothing more than 4 log huts and a handful of settlers, but it had 400 residents by the late 1820s. By 1860, Little Rock had a population of 3,700 and residents had gas lighting in their homes for the first time, although the Civil War delayed the construction of the railroad line between the city and Memphis until 1871. After the war, the city grew quickly, reaching 12,380 people by 1870 and 40,000 people by the turn of the century.

Little Rock Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Little Rock was:

  • White: 49.92%
  • Black or African American: 40.89%
  • Asian: 3.11%
  • Two or more races: 2.84%
  • Other race: 2.81%
  • Native American: 0.33%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.11%
The current population of Little Rock, Arkansas is 201,029 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 202,484.

Little Rock, Arkansas Population 2023

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Little Rock Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

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White

Black or African American

Asian

Two or more races

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Little Rock Population by Race

Little Rock Population Pyramid 2023

Little Rock Median Age

36.5

Total

33.9

Male

38.4

Female

Little Rock Adults

There are 151,618 adults, (28,418 of whom are seniors) in Little Rock.

Little Rock Age Dependency

60.8

Age Dependency Ratio

23.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

37.7

Child Dependency Ratio

Little Rock Sex Ratio

Female104,07052.54%
Male93,99747.46%

Little Rock Population by Age

Little Rock Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.13

Average Family Size

2.33

Average Household Size

54.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Little Rock Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Little Rock Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Little Rock Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 91.57%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 61.24%.

Little Rock Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$40,976

Average Earnings

$46,101

Average Male

$36,664

Average Female

Little Rock Earnings by Educational Attainment

Little Rock Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Little Rock Language

89% of Little Rock residents speak only English, while 11% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.7% of the population.

Little Rock Language

Little Rock Poverty by Race

rate

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18.75%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.99%

Male Poverty Rate

16.51%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Little Rock

The race most likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is Native, with 78.8% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is White, with 8.7% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.15%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.23%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.74%.

Little Rock Poverty

rate

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Little Rock Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Little Rock Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Little Rock Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Little Rock Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

39.7%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.0%

Male Marriage Rate

36.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Little Rock Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Little Rock Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Little Rock Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Little Rock Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

10,145

Number of Veterans

8,858

Male Veterans

1,287

Female Veterans

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Little Rock Veterans by War

count

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Little Rock Veterans by Age

count

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Little Rock Veterans by Race

Little Rock Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

10.07%

Veteran Poverty Rate

34.62%

Veteran Disability Rate

Little Rock Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

65.4%

Labor Force Participation

62.5%

Employment Rate

4.2%

Unemployment Rate

Little Rock Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Little Rock Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Little Rock Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

64.87%

Born in Little Rock

90.64%

Native Born

7.18%

Foreign Born

4.66%

Non Citizen

2.52%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

90.64% of Little Rock residents were born in the United States, with 64.87% having been born in Arkansas. 4.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Little Rock Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change
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Little Rock Population by Year